Pharmacies in Turkey

In this report, we learn about the system and working hours of pharmacies in Turkey, who is entitled to work in them, and the conditions that must be met by pharmacists.

First of all, all pharmacies in the provinces of Turkey operate under a strong system directly connected to the Turkish Ministry of Health. When a pharmacy student graduates and wants to open a pharmacy, they must submit an application to the Ministry of Health.

The ministry sends a delegate to designate the location for establishing the pharmacy after approving the location.

When stocking the pharmacy with medicines, you have two options:

1. The first option is to stock the pharmacy with all medicines from the state-supported health insurance within only 20 days, and this step is mandatory. You must sign to receive the medicines in the quantities available without paying any expenses, and the supply to your pharmacy will be under the same system every 3 months during the first two years. However, the profit during this period goes to the Ministry of Health.

2. The second option is for you to stock the pharmacy at your own expense, and you must provide at least 2500 basic types of medicines listed by the Ministry of Health, and you get the full profit.

Important notes:

- You must consider several things before starting, as there are no independent pharmacists, as you are considered a government employee, and this applies to the following:

1. You must choose the medical assistant team and the cleaning team, and send them to the Ministry of Health for training for 6 months, and they will be examined.

2. Pharmacies operate with unified working hours in all provinces of Turkey, starting from 9 am until 7 pm.

3. There is one pharmacy in the area that operates 24 hours a day, with a rotation schedule set by the ministry, announced in all media except applications and on the door of each pharmacy the schedule of pharmacists by neighborhood is placed before the pharmacy closes directly.

4. The pharmacy is inspected 3 times a month without prior appointments.

5. No non-Turkish person is allowed to be present in the pharmacy without prior permission.

6. Every inspection requires samples of insured medicines and prescriptions.

7. A monthly bulletin is issued on any suspected medicine, and after the pharmacy is opened for two years, the supply is at the end of each year without checks, and you have a grace period of 6 months.

8. You are not allowed to open more than one pharmacy. As for government pharmacists, they are not allowed to open a pharmacy, and the penalty for violating the law is dismissal from the ministry and removal from the profession register.

9. You can search for the nearest rotating pharmacy on Google or Google Maps by writing the name of your province with the phrase "rotating pharmacy" in Turkish "Nöbetçi eczane", and you will see the nearest rotating pharmacy.

10. Turkcell service:
The telecommunications company Turkcell allows its subscribers to determine the location of the rotating pharmacy by sending a message to the number (2222). Write in it (Eczane) then the provider sends a list of nearby pharmacies with their phone numbers.