Croatia – Prescriptions and Medications

What are pharmacies called in Croatia, and how do I recognise one?

The Croatian word for pharmacy is ljekarna, though you will also hear the term apoteka used interchangeably. Both are universally understood, and the word “LJEKARNA” appears prominently on signage across the country.

Pharmacies are straightforward to spot: they display an illuminated green cross alongside the word “LJEKARNA” on their exterior. This green cross is the recognised pharmacy symbol throughout continental Europe, making it immediately familiar to those who have lived in other EU member states.

A ljekarna is a regulated healthcare establishment where medicines and related medical supplies are sourced, prepared, tested, stored, and dispensed to the public. In larger Croatian cities, they can be found in virtually every neighbourhood. The country has approximately 1,200 pharmacies in total.

In contrast to pharmacies in certain other countries, ljekarnas deal exclusively in medicines and health-related products — you will not encounter groceries, cosmetics, or everyday household items on their shelves. Retailers such as DM and Müller may stock vitamins and dietary supplements, but they are not permitted to sell prescription or general over-the-counter medicines.

There are two principal categories: the državna ljekarna (state pharmacy), which functions as an independent public outlet within healthcare institutions and health centres, and the privatna ljekarna (private pharmacy), which is operated by qualified pharmacists who have passed the relevant state examination and hold official authorisation to practise.

What are pharmacy opening hours in Croatia?

Opening times at Croatian pharmacies vary according to location and the individual pharmacy or chain involved. The typical operating window is 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on weekdays and 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturdays. Some outlets also open on Sundays and public holidays, though these tend to be concentrated in larger cities and popular tourist destinations.

Certain pharmacies begin as early as 7:00 AM and remain open until 8:00 PM, with Saturday hours matching this extended schedule. In some urban centres, pharmacies operate around the clock, seven days a week. Zagreb, Split, and other major cities are the most likely places to find 24-hour coverage.

In every district, at least one pharmacy is designated as the on-call pharmacy (dežurna ljekarna) to serve patients outside standard hours, including overnight, on Sundays, and on public holidays. The rota for on-call pharmacies is updated on a monthly basis, so it is worth checking the current schedule before an urgent need arises.

If you find yourself in need of medication outside normal hours and cannot locate the on-call pharmacy, dialling 112 can help direct you to appropriate assistance. In smaller towns and rural settings, emergency pharmacy cover may not be as immediately accessible as in city areas, so it is sensible to identify your nearest on-call pharmacy when you first settle in a new location.

The greatest concentration of pharmacies tends to be in areas served by a health centre (dom zdravlja). In more remote rural locations, you may need to travel to the nearest town to reach a pharmacy, particularly beyond regular opening hours.

Which medications can I buy over the counter in Croatia, and which require a prescription?

Certain medicines are available without a prescription, while others must be authorised by a doctor before a pharmacy can dispense them. Pharmacists can advise on and supply over-the-counter remedies for common complaints including pain, colds, allergies, digestive problems, and minor wounds. Croatian pharmacists are thoroughly trained healthcare professionals and are an excellent first resource for minor health issues.

One notable difference from countries such as the United Kingdom or the United States is that over-the-counter medicines in Croatia are sold almost exclusively through pharmacies rather than supermarkets or general stores. If you are accustomed to picking up paracetamol or cold remedies from a supermarket shelf, be aware that in Croatia you will almost always need to visit a ljekarna — even for basic medications.

Antibiotics, oral contraceptives, blood pressure treatments, and medicines for chronic conditions all require an electronic prescription (e-recept) issued by a doctor registered within the Croatian system. It is worth noting that some products freely available without a prescription in other countries may be prescription-only in Croatia. If you have any doubt about the status of a particular medicine, consult a local pharmacist or doctor before purchasing.

Expats frequently observe that Croatian pharmacies carry predominantly branded products, making it hard to find own-brand generic equivalents — such as plain ibuprofen or generic antihistamines — of the kind commonly sold in supermarkets elsewhere. If you depend on a particular generic formulation, speak to a pharmacist about what local alternatives exist.

Online purchasing of medication from licensed pharmacies is permitted in Croatia. However, caution is essential, as illegitimate websites selling counterfeit medicines are widespread. To confirm that an online pharmacy is reputable, check that it holds a licence and accreditation from the Croatian Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (HALMED). A list of authorised online pharmacies can be found on the HALMED website.

Under Croatian law, importing medicines or medical products through postal channels is expressly prohibited, and any such parcels will be returned to the sender. This means ordering medication from an overseas supplier and having it delivered to a Croatian address is not permitted under current legislation.

How does the prescription system work in Croatia?

The Croatian word for a prescription is recept, which translates literally as “recipe.” When Croatian speakers discuss this in English, they will often use the word “recipe” rather than “prescription” — a quirk worth knowing when navigating the healthcare system or speaking with medical staff.

Doctors working within the public sector issue prescriptions electronically, which patients can redeem at any pharmacy using their HZZO card; private doctors issue prescriptions on paper. Croatia’s digital prescription platform — the e-recept system — is fully embedded within the HZZO public health network, functioning similarly to the NHS electronic prescription service in the UK, where prescriptions are issued digitally and can be collected at any participating outlet.

When you consult a public GP who is part of the HZZO network, they will enter your prescription directly into the electronic system. You can then take this to any contracted ljekarna and present your HZZO health insurance card (zdravstvena iskaznica) to have it dispensed. No physical prescription document will be handed to you.

If you visit a private doctor, they will give you a printed paper prescription to take to the pharmacy. Prescriptions issued by private practitioners are not covered under HZZO insurance. However, if you bring the paper prescription to your HZZO family doctor, they can replicate it as an electronic prescription, which will then qualify for HZZO subsidy. This practical workaround is widely used by expats who consult private specialists but wish to retain the benefit of HZZO coverage.

A standard prescription remains valid for 15 days from the date of issue. Antibiotic prescriptions are subject to a shorter window of just three days. These timeframes are considerably tighter than in some other countries — NHS prescriptions in the UK, for instance, are valid for 28 days — so it is important to have Croatian prescriptions filled without delay.

Your GP also issues an electronic referral (e-uputnica) for any outside services, including specialist consultations and diagnostic investigations. A referral is generally required before accessing specialist care within the public system. Specialists may also issue prescriptions, but these are linked to your HZZO registration through the e-recept platform.

How much do prescriptions and medications cost in Croatia?

The cost of prescription medication in Croatia is partially met by the national health insurance fund, with patients responsible for a co-payment whose amount depends on the specific medicine and, in some cases, the patient’s financial circumstances.

Medicines prescribed by a primary care doctor can be collected from any pharmacy contracted with the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO/CHIF) for a standard fee of €1.32 per prescription (as of 2025, based on European Commission guidance for EHIC holders). You should verify the current rate directly with HZZO, as this figure is subject to periodic revision.

As in the majority of EU countries, the Croatian social insurance system reimburses certain medicines at 100% of their cost, while other reimbursable medicines attract a patient co-payment. Decisions about reimbursement eligibility take into account a medicine’s public health significance, its therapeutic value, and its comparative effectiveness relative to alternatives.

Medicines appearing on the osnovna lista lijekova (basic list, List A) and the dopunska lista lijekova (additional list, List B), as determined by HZZO, fall within the standard public insurance framework. Insured patients generally pay a modest co-payment for these medicines. To remove the co-payment requirement entirely, patients must enrol in dopunsko supplemental insurance.

Expats can take out dopunsko coverage for around €10 per month to eliminate these co-payments, making it particularly worthwhile for those on regular medication. Certain private Croatian insurance providers also include coverage of patient contributions towards medicines not fully reimbursed by HZZO as part of their supplemental health insurance offerings.

The reference wholesale price of a medicine in Croatia is calculated by benchmarking against the wholesale prices of the same product in Italy, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic. Where this data is unavailable, prices in Spain and France serve as the reference point. This external price referencing mechanism keeps Croatian drug costs broadly aligned with those across other EU member states.

For the most up-to-date co-payment figures, exemption categories, and full reimbursement lists, consult the official HZZO website and the HALMED website directly, as both fees and list inclusions are reviewed and revised on a regular basis.

Will my home-country prescription be accepted in Croatia?

Whether a prescription issued abroad will be honoured in Croatia depends largely on the country of origin. The rules differ substantially between prescriptions from EU or EEA member states and those issued outside the EU, so understanding which category applies to your situation is essential.

As an EU member state, Croatia is obliged to recognise prescriptions issued by doctors in other EU countries. Some member states have also established interoperable digital prescription systems — for example, e-prescriptions generated in Finland can be used in Croatia, Estonia, and Portugal without requiring a paper version. For the majority of EU countries, however, a physical paper prescription is still needed for cross-border use.

A medicine that is marketed in one EU country may not be available in another, or may be sold under an entirely different brand name. When requesting a prescription you intend to have dispensed in another EU country, ask your doctor to use the international non-proprietary (generic) name of the medicine wherever possible. This makes it considerably easier for a pharmacist in another EU country to identify and dispense an equivalent product.

In some situations, a Croatian doctor may need to reissue a prescription originally obtained elsewhere to ensure it meets local regulatory requirements. This is particularly relevant for prescriptions from countries outside the EU, where no automatic mutual recognition framework applies. If you arrive in Croatia with an ongoing prescription from a non-EU country, the most practical approach is to visit a local doctor — either through the HZZO public system or at a private clinic — who can assess your needs and issue a Croatian prescription accordingly.

If you have a chronic condition, bringing copies of your medical records along with a letter from your treating doctor explaining your medication requirements is strongly advisable. Having this documentation available in both your own language and, if possible, in Croatian or English will help local doctors understand your treatment history and issue suitable prescriptions more efficiently.

Always carry a medical summary and make sure you know the generic (non-proprietary) name of your medication so that a pharmacist can readily identify the correct product. While brand names differ widely from country to country, generic names remain consistent internationally.

Can I bring my medications into Croatia?

Croatia applies specific rules to the importation of medicines, with stricter provisions for controlled substances than for ordinary prescription drugs. Understanding these limits before you travel is particularly important if you rely on regular medication.

For standard prescription medicines, there is no explicit quantity ceiling for ordinary medications carried in personal luggage, but you should have your original prescription or a letter from your doctor on hand as evidence of legitimate personal use. For controlled substances, the requirements are considerably more precise.

Bringing medicines containing narcotics into Croatia for personal use is permitted in quantities sufficient for a maximum of five days of treatment, and must be accompanied by medical documentation establishing the necessity of the medicine — such as prescription copies, medical history transcripts, or a certified physician’s certificate.

Passengers undergoing addiction substitution therapy or receiving treatment for malignant disease may carry a quantity of the relevant medicine sufficient for up to 15 days of personal use.

As an exception, Croatian residents and domiciled persons travelling to countries within the Schengen Area may carry medicines containing narcotics in quantities covering up to 30 days of personal use, provided they hold a certificate issued by an authorised physician on the prescribed official form.

Croatian law explicitly prohibits the importation of medicines and medical products through postal channels, and any such consignments will be returned to the sender. This means that importing medicines for personal use, even when accompanied by a valid prescription, can only be carried out by legal entities holding a marketing authorisation granted by the relevant agency. In practical terms, ordering medication from an overseas pharmacy and having it posted to a Croatian address is not legally permitted.

Always check the current regulations with the Croatian Customs Administration before travelling, as the rules may be subject to change. If you are uncertain about whether a specific medication is allowed, seek written confirmation from the relevant authority in advance.

How do expats access prescription medications through health insurance in Croatia?

Your ability to access and pay for prescription medicines as an expat in Croatia depends primarily on whether you are enrolled in the country’s compulsory public health insurance scheme — the obvezno plan administered by HZZO.

Croatia mandates that all residents hold obvezno health insurance coverage. Expats holding a temporary or permanent residency visa must register for this scheme after 90 days in the country. Once registered, you receive a health insurance card (zdravstvena iskaznica), which you present at the pharmacy to access subsidised medication prices.

Obvezno coverage includes primary healthcare, specialist consultations, hospital treatment, and prescriptions, with patients contributing a 20% co-payment per service. Expats can supplement this with dopunsko insurance — available for approximately €10 per month — which covers these co-payments. Many long-term expats in Croatia recommend holding all three tiers: obvezno (baseline coverage), dopunsko (co-payment cover), and dodatno (comprehensive private insurance) to achieve the best quality care at the lowest overall cost.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles all insured persons from EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom to healthcare in Croatia on the same terms as locally insured residents. Cardholders will be charged the same co-payments that apply to Croatian residents. It is important to note that EHIC coverage is intended for necessary treatment during a temporary visit, not for long-term residency purposes.

Expats who are visiting Croatia rather than residing there will not have access to the HZZO system, meaning all costs must be paid out of pocket and only paper prescriptions can be issued by private doctors. In this situation, care is restricted to private healthcare providers.

Some Croatian private insurance companies include coverage of patient contributions towards medicines not fully reimbursed by HZZO within their supplemental health insurance policies. If you are arranging international private health insurance before moving to Croatia, confirm whether the policy covers prescription co-payments and, crucially, whether Croatian pharmacies will accept it directly or whether you must pay upfront and claim reimbursement later.

Prescription medicine prices in Croatia are generally lower than in the United States, though they may be comparable to or modestly higher than in some other European countries. For uninsured expats paying full market rates, the cost of a particular medicine will depend on the product itself and whether a generic alternative is available.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if I run out of medication in Croatia?

If you require a prescription medicine, some pharmacies may be willing to dispense a one-off emergency supply, though this is not guaranteed and cannot be treated as a reliable option. The most dependable course of action is to attend a private clinic (poliklinika) or the nearest emergency health centre (hitna pomoć) to obtain a valid Croatian prescription. Carry a copy of your existing prescription and ensure you know the generic name of your medication so that local doctors can act swiftly on your behalf.

Are brand-name medications available in Croatia?

Croatian pharmacies predominantly stock branded medicines, so generic own-brand equivalents of common products can be hard to come by. If your medication is sold in Croatia, it is likely to appear under its original brand name. Because the same medicine may carry a different brand name in Croatia than in your home country, always keep a note of the generic (non-proprietary) name of your medication as well as the brand name you are familiar with.

How do I find a pharmacy that speaks my language?

English-speaking pharmacy staff can be found in all major towns and tourist areas throughout Croatia. In cities such as Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik, a good working knowledge of English is common among pharmacists. In less urban locations, communication may be more challenging — carrying a written note with the generic name of your medication and your dosage information can help bridge any language gap. Translation apps such as Google Translate can also prove useful at the pharmacy counter.

What happens in a medical emergency?

Call 112 for general emergency services or 194, which is the direct line for medical emergencies in Croatia. Public hospital emergency departments are open around the clock and are obliged to treat every patient regardless of insurance status, although uninsured patients may receive a bill for services afterwards. Always keep your health insurance card or EHIC with you.

Can my existing prescription from another EU country be used at a Croatian pharmacy?

As an EU member state, Croatia is required to honour prescriptions issued in other EU countries. E-prescriptions from Finland can currently be used in Croatia without a paper copy, and cross-border digital services of this kind are gradually expanding. For most other EU countries, a paper prescription is still required. Bear in mind that the medicine may be stocked under a different name in Croatia, and not everything available in your home country will necessarily be on Croatian pharmacy shelves — always bring enough of your medication to cover the transition period.

Does my medication need to be in its original packaging when I travel to Croatia?

Although Croatian customs rules do not explicitly require original packaging for ordinary medicines, keeping your medication in its original packaging with the pharmacy label attached is strongly recommended. For medicines containing controlled substances, accompanying medical documentation — such as a copy of your prescription or a physician’s certificate — is a legal requirement. Having this documentation in order makes passing through customs significantly smoother and helps avoid unnecessary delays.

What is HALMED, and why does it matter to expats?

HALMED is the Croatian Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices — the authority responsible for approving which medicines may be marketed and sold in Croatia and for setting the maximum permissible wholesale prices for medications. It fulfils a role comparable to national-level medicine regulators across Europe. If you need to check whether your medication is approved for sale in Croatia, or wish to verify that an online pharmacy is properly licensed, the HALMED website is the authoritative point of reference.

How do I step-by-step get a prescription filled in Croatia as an HZZO-insured expat?

1. Register with a family GP (liječnik opće prakse) within the HZZO network — this doctor serves as your primary point of contact for all non-emergency healthcare needs.
2. Attend your appointment; if you are seeing a public doctor within the HZZO network, they will enter your prescription directly into the electronic system as an e-recept.
3. Go to any contracted pharmacy and present your HZZO card (zdravstvena iskaznica); the pharmacist will retrieve the prescriptions available for dispensing on your account.
4. If you hold dopunsko supplemental insurance, present that card as well to reduce or remove your co-payment; if your dopunsko is administered through HZZO, it should be visible automatically.
5. Collect your medication — in most cases you will be able to take it away immediately.
6. If a private specialist has given you a paper prescription, bring it to your HZZO family GP, who can replicate it as an e-recept so that it qualifies for HZZO coverage.