Pharmacies in Poland have long been part of the shopping tour program, which are actively bought by residents of neighboring CIS countries. As such, the pharmaceutical industry in the country is not very developed, therefore, the local market is flooded with European-made drugs, which causes a steady interest of our compatriots in these products. The most popular cities during such trips are Biala Podlaska, Bialystok, Terespol, Kuznica, Braniewo. How to find the right medicines, where is the best place to buy them, and how to transport them across the border are the main concerns of potential buyers.
A little about Polish medicine
In 1999, the country passed a law on compulsory health insurance. The conditions for the provision of services in this area to residents and non-residents, as well as the system of private and public medicine itself, is as close as possible to the model that operates today on the territory of the entire European community.
Patient care is provided in two types of institutions:
- state ownership;
- in private clinics and doctors' offices.
The population receives the services that are included in the basic insurance package free of charge. In return, residents of Poland deduct a certain amount from their salaries every month (9%). All disbursed funds go to the Health Fund, from where they are subsequently distributed to voivodeships and cities.
In addition to compulsory, voluntary insurance is also provided in Poland, which in no way limits the choice of a medical institution in which a patient wants to be served, regardless of his civil status or where he lives. The monthly installment is usually around PLN 400 (approx. EUR 93). However, before signing such an agreement, you need to carefully study the cases that it covers.
How to find the right medicines at your local pharmacies
The process of purchasing certain drugs in Polish pharmacies cannot be called simple. Unlike the CIS countries, most of the drugs in Poland are sold exclusively by prescription. What you are used to buying at home just like that should be accompanied by a doctor's prescription. No persuasion and explanation to the pharmacist about how important it is for you to buy this or that medicine right now will work. The laws are very strict and they are followed carefully.
Those who come here to stock up on quality drugs have a logical question: how to find them?
First of all, it should be borne in mind that if you need a rare and expensive medicine, then not every pharmacy sells it. In this case, you need to go to big cities, for example to Warsaw.
But first, try to do an online drug search in Poland. This will allow you not only to find a place where the drugs you need are on sale, but also to compare prices for them. You can search on the following sites:
- www.cefarm24.pl - this store allows you to use a very convenient rubricator that offers products for children and newborns, for mothers and pregnant women, for men, as well as cosmetics for all categories of customers;
- www.i-apteka.pl - in the side menu you can choose which organ, condition or disease you need the drug for the treatment. If necessary, you can specify the category of the buyer: for men, for women, for children, for athletes, and so on;
- www.doz.pl - website of Polish pharmacies doz.pl. Here you can get information about the drugs that are available in almost all pharmacies in the country. As one of the largest Polish Internet resources, it informs its users about all possible promotions and discounts that are valid in various networks. The portal has its own mobile application, which greatly facilitates the search for the necessary goods;
- www.apteka-sawa.pl and www.aptekawarszawa.pl - leading online pharmacies that deliver mainly within the Polish capital;
- www.apteka-zielona.pl - here you can buy medicines, dietary supplements, vitamin complexes, cosmetic products;
- https://www.ceneo.pl is one of the most popular sites where you can compare prices and choose the best option.
Please note that it makes no sense to enter the name of the medicine you need into the search bar in Russian - all sites are presented exclusively in Polish.
Using the ceneo.pl website as an example, we will tell you how to find the product you need:
- Start typing in the search for the name of the drug in Latin letters.
- After the system gives you a list of all the drugs it finds, select the product you need. Using the side menu, you can sort the pharmacies in the city you need. For example, let's choose Wroclaw. And click on the "Compare prices" button.
- As a result, we get a list of institutions where our drug is sold. Having chosen the appropriate option, we go to the website of this pharmacy.
- Next, we put the product in the cart and proceed to checkout.
- The site allows you to choose a delivery method: self-delivery with prepayment, courier with prepayment, courier with payment on receipt.
However, it should be borne in mind that not all institutions where you can buy medicines are registered on electronic portals. Therefore, if you know exactly where the products you need are sold, look for them on the website of this network.
Another important question: where exactly is the best place to buy? The most successful option will be the border towns. For example, residents of the Kaliningrad region can safely shop in Elblag, a city located on the border with the Russian Federation. At the same time, it should be remembered that prices in big cities (for example, in Krakow) and in small ones (for example, in Bartoszyce) can differ significantly.
Belarusians prefer to visit pharmacies in Bialystok. This is due to the proximity of the territories, a large selection of retail outlets and drugs. It is better to go to Warsaw for rare medicines. If we talk about the pricing policy, then quite reasonable prices await buyers in the following chains:
- Gemini - Gemini pharmacy is the most popular pharmacy, where you can find a large selection of products for mothers, babies, pregnant women. In 2008, the company launched an online pharmacy with a special “No Prescription” section;
- Nasce Apteki - Our Pharmacies is a large network operating in Biala Podlaska. It is not possible to buy medicines on the site, but the prices in the pharmacies themselves are pleasantly pleasing;
- SAS is another cheap network in Biala Podlaska;
- ProVita - you can often find a Russian-speaking manager here, and prices are 30-70% lower than those of competitors.
The difference in price on the website and in the pharmacy itself is not very noticeable, but it should be remembered that the information on the portals is updated every few days. For this reason, you need to be prepared for the fact that while you get there, the cost of products may change slightly.
The financial side of the issue
Prices for many drugs in Poland are lower than you might imagine. In particular, this applies to those medicines that are produced in the territory of the European Union. But those drugs that are imported for Poland, that is, imported from countries outside Europe, will be very expensive. This is due to two factors:
- no fees and other taxes are levied for European drugs;
- the cost of tablets, which are exported products, includes the cost of transportation, customs clearance and other expenses.
From this we can conclude: if you are interested in a drug produced in the EU countries, such a purchase will be beneficial for you in all respects. But if you have to purchase a drug from American or Canadian manufacturers, be prepared for a solid check.
How to transport medicines across the border
Let us remind you that the transportation of psychotropic and narcotic drugs across the border is strictly prohibited. If it turns out that these substances are contained in those medicines that you purchased in Poland, the customs officer will definitely ask you to present documents, which will indicate that the pills were prescribed for you by a doctor.
An extract from your medical record or a prescription from your doctor can serve as confirmation. If the prescription remains with the pharmacist when buying medicines, make sure that a copy is made for you, otherwise you will not be able to take your purchase out of the country.
In addition, there will be restrictions on the amount of exported products. For example, a medicine containing a narcotic can be transported only in the amount that the patient should have enough for three days, and psychotropic drugs - up to 90 doses.
It should be borne in mind that the smuggling of illegal medicinal products may threaten not only administrative, but in many cases criminal liability.
There will be no problems with the following types of pharmacy products:
- ointments;
- antiviral drugs;
- pain relievers.
However, it will still be appropriate to have your receipt or recipe with you. All pharmaceutical products must be exported from the country strictly in their original packaging.
In order not to worry when passing control at the border, follow these simple steps:
- Check all drugs for the presence of psychotropic or narcotic substances.
- Declare each drug at the border.
- Submit documents that could confirm the need for these drugs, daily dosage, doctor's prescription.
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What is often asked about
When going shopping in another country, you need to be prepared for the fact that in the process many questions arise, to which it would be nice to know the answers in advance. We will try to highlight the most common problems.
What kind of visa is needed to travel to Poland for medicines
An important point is entry into Polish territory. For representatives of most of the CIS space, it is carried out on the basis of a visa permit. Given the fact that few people travel for pills on purpose (more often such purchases are made on an occasional basis), it can be assumed that a regular short-term tourist visa will be enough.
Those who go on a shopping tour can use a visa issued for entry for the purpose of shopping.
Is VAT refund possible
VAT refunds are most often of concern to those who buy imported products, the cost of which is sometimes very high. In some cases, buyers have the opportunity to get a tax refund, but for this the purchase must be more than PLN 300 (70 EUR). This allows you to get back 8% of the cost of medicinal products and 22% of cosmetic products.
However, this opportunity is not provided by all pharmacies. Therefore, even before you start shopping, inquire about VAT compensation.
Is it possible to buy medicines on the basis of a doctor's prescription from outside Poland?
It should be borne in mind that without a doctor's prescription, you cannot buy, say, antibiotics. Only vitamins, nutritional supplements, antipyretics, analgesics, homeopathic remedies and cosmetic products will be available. At the same time, not every pharmacy will accept your prescription issued in your home country - many will ask that the document be signed by a Polish doctor.
In addition to the name of the medicine, the dosage must be indicated in the prescription. Be prepared for the fact that they will sell you exactly the amount indicated in the recipe.
If you want to try to stock up on a prescription issued at home, it is important that the name of the product is indicated in the Latin alphabet. If the drug you need is not in the pharmacy, they may offer you analogues, but they must also be prescribed in the prescription, otherwise they will simply not be sold to you.
Conclusions
Traveling to Poland for medicines has more advantages than disadvantages, especially if you intend to do it in parallel with other activities, for example, on a sightseeing tour. While still at home, you should definitely compare prices in different pharmacy chains in order to purposefully visit the most profitable place for shopping upon arrival in the country. Numerous Internet portals will help in this, which collect information about almost all pharmacy points.
It is important to remember that not all medicines in Poland are on the open market: many are dispensed exclusively by prescription, while the medical prescription obtained in your home country is not always sufficient.
The price of the same drug may differ not only in different pharmacies, but also in cities. The country of origin also affects the cost of a medicine.
Non-EU drugs are always more expensive. Partially offsetting their cost allows VAT refund.
You should always remember about the rules for exporting pharmaceutical products outside Poland - ignorance of the rules will lead to sad consequences.
