Estonia's pharmacy reform: medicines soon available from self-service vending machines

Estonia is preparing a new phase of pharmacy reform that will allow medicines to be sold through self-service vending machines. In addition, the arrangement of medicines prepared in pharmacies will change, with pharmacies able in future to order medicine preparation from another pharmacy or hospital pharmacy.

A new phase of Estonia's pharmacy reform is underway, which will pave the way for the introduction of medicine vending machines. According to the draft, pharmacies will soon be able to offer customers self-service vending machines from which medicines can be purchased.

Machines are voluntary

The change does not oblige any pharmacy to adopt machines. Each pharmacy owner will decide for themselves whether and what new solutions they wish to implement. The introduction of new solutions will take place gradually and according to the readiness of pharmacies.

The draft has been prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications' innovation programme Accelerate Estonia and takes into account suggestions from pharmacists, enterprises and the healthcare sector.

The medicine moves, not the patient

The arrangement of medicines prepared in pharmacies will also change. In future, pharmacies will be able to order medicine preparation from another pharmacy if necessary. This means that medicines will be prepared primarily by those pharmacies that have the necessary equipment and expertise. For the patient, the service remains essentially the same; the medicine is obtained from the pharmacy they visited. The medicine moves, not the patient.

The draft also expands the possibilities for hospital pharmacies. A retail pharmacy can in future order medicine preparation from a hospital pharmacy if it lacks the necessary capacity. The hospital pharmacy will not be given retail sales rights or an obligation to prepare medicines for other pharmacies.

This solution is particularly important in situations where a patient receives medicine suitable for them at hospital, but it is not available from a retail pharmacy for home treatment. In such a situation, medicine preparation can be arranged through the hospital pharmacy.

Minister: Estonia must be a leader in innovation

Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry Erkki Keldo emphasised that Estonia must be a country where smart solutions genuinely reach people's everyday lives. "The introduction of self-service pharmacy is a clear example of how state innovation acceleration helps create space for new technologies and entrepreneurship even in strictly regulated sectors. If we want to be innovation leaders in Europe, we must consciously enable the emergence and adoption of such solutions," said Keldo.

More information about the changes can be found in the draft bill system.