Do you need to buy medicines in Luxembourg? Whether it's for a minor ailment or to treat a more serious illness or ailment, we tell you all you need to know about Luxembourg pharmacies and the pharmacies on call outside normal opening hours.
The role of the pharmacist in Luxembourg
Seek pharmacy advice for minor ailments
Pharmacists are health professionals. Pharmacists are authorized to dispense medicines and parapharmaceutical products. Your pharmacist will advise you on the dosage of your medication, as well as any contraindications.
Pharmacists can be consulted for minor ailments such as headaches, coughs, minor injuries...
In case of doubt or more serious symptoms, the pharmacist will refer you to a doctor. He or she will be in a better position to make a diagnosis.
Dispensing of medicines, purchase of para-pharmaceutical products
The pharmacist's role is to advise on drug dispensing and dosage.
Some medicines can only be dispensed with a doctor's prescription. It is also the doctor's prescription that determines whether or not health insurance companies will cover the cost of drugs and healthcare products.
Pharmacies also supply para-pharmacy, beauty and hygiene products. You can find vitamins and other nutrients, pediatric and pregnancy products, orthopedic products, first-aid products, etc.
You'll also find masks to prevent the spread of viruses, as well as self-tests for Covid19 and HIV.
Opening hours of pharmacies in Luxembourg
Open on weekdays and excluding public holidays
Pharmacies in Luxembourg are generally open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 6pm . Pharmacies in Luxembourg City and larger towns are also open on Saturdays.
Some pharmacies are closed between 12pm and 2pm. Opening hours are indicated in front of the store.
Pharmacies on call outside normal opening hours
Outside opening hours and when necessary, only on-call pharmacies dispense prescription drugs. At night and on public holidays, on-call pharmacies may appear to be closed. You'll have to ring the bell and present your prescription at a closed counter.
For a list of pharmacies on call, visit www.pharmacie.lu, the official website of the Luxembourg pharmacists' union.
You'll also find out which pharmacies are licensed, and the opening hours of pharmacies in Luxembourg.
Dispensing drugs in pharmacies
Over-the-counter drugs
In the pharmacy, you can buy all the medicines you need to treat yourself. However, some are only available with a doctor's prescription.
If you don't have a doctor's prescription, you can still buy certain lower-dose medications.
Don't hesitate to consult a doctor if you feel unwell or have any doubts about your state of health.
Prescription drugs
If you have a prescription for medication, it is valid for up to 3 months.
Prescriptions for medication must be filled within the time period specified by the doctor on the prescription. If the doctor does not specify a prescription period, a period of 3 months applies for dispensing drugs from the time the doctor issues the prescription.
On-call pharmacies dispense prescription drugs only.
All drug prescriptions of 6 months or more are dispensed by the pharmacy in instalments. To this end, the pharmacist will dispense the medication for a certain period and provide you with a copy of the prescription. You'll need to bring it back to the pharmacy each time you need to take the next course of medication.
Pet medications
If you have a pet, pharmacies also dispense pet medications. You may need to order them in advance. However, delivery times are very short.
Drug reimbursement
Medicines prescribed by your doctor may be reimbursed reimbursed in full or in part by your health insurance company. Reimbursement depends on whether or not they are included on a positive list published in the Mémorial de la CNS.
Reimbursement rates are 100%, 80% or 40%, depending on precise criteria such as whether or not the drug is vitally necessary, the number of irreplaceable active ingredients, etc. This list can be found on the CNS website.
To improve your drug reimbursement, consider taking out complementary health insurance.
Buy drugs online
Since 2017, the purchase of medicines over the internet has been permitted for Luxembourg residents. However, the sale of such medicines is only permitted for medicines that can be dispensed without a prescription.
To be able to buy drugs online, the patient must first complete a health questionnaire on the website of the pharmacy selling drugs online.
To sell medicines over the Internet, pharmacies must first be expressly authorized by the Ministry of Health.
See the list of approved pharmacies in Luxembourg and how to buy medicines safely online.
The pharmacie. lu website lists pharmacies where you can order medicines online by filling in a form.
Recycling unused medicines
To protect the environment, please do not throw medicines, syrups or ointments in Luxembourg into the garbage can or sewer. This also applies to cosmetics and personal hygiene products.
You can return these medicines and hygiene products for recycling via the SuperDrecksKëscht, mobile collection or recycling centers .
Some pharmacists also collect these drugs for recycling. Ask your pharmacist for details.
