Non-stop pharmacies and emergencies after 10 PM: how to find an open pharmacy

It's 11:30 PM, your child has a fever, and your usual pharmacy closed at 10:00 PM. What do you do? In Romania, every municipality and some large towns have at least one non-stop pharmacy, under Law 266/2008 (Romania's pharmacy law). Here is how to find it in a few minutes.

The regulation — Law 266/2008

Law 266/2008 on the practice of the pharmacist profession and the organisation of pharmacies states in art. 19 that at least one pharmacy with a continuous (24/7) schedule must operate in every municipality. In smaller towns, the local authorities + the county Public Health Directorate (DSP — Direcția de Sănătate Publică) organise a rotation plan — pharmacies take turns on call each week.

The list of non-stop pharmacies is posted on the websites of the county DSPs (ms.ro → DSP → your county), on town-hall notice boards and on the websites of the big chains. On HartaFarmacii you can filter directly with the “Non-stop” filter.

How to find a pharmacy open at night — 4 methods

1. HartaFarmacii — non-stop filter on the map

On hartafarmacii.ro you turn on the “24/7” filter and the map shows only pharmacies with a continuous or extended schedule (open after 10 PM). The data is aggregated from OSM + our own scrapers on the websites of Catena, Dona, Help Net, Tei, Dr.Max, plus Mattca and Springfarma in towns where they have branches.

2. The Public Health Directorate (DSP) website

Each county DSP publishes the pharmacy on-call schedule on its own website — search for “farmacii de gardă [your county]” (on-call pharmacies). The list is weekly, with the exact address and opening hours.

3. 112 — the emergency dispatch

If you are in an urgent situation and have no internet, call 112 (the European emergency number) — the dispatcher gives you the nearest on-call pharmacy in the area. Use it only in a real emergency (a vital medicine, a child with a high fever).

4. The big chains — their own websites

catena.ro, farmaciatei.ro, helpnet.ro, farmaciadona.ro, drmax.ro — they all have “Non-stop pharmacies” pages with addresses and phone numbers.

What you can buy at night

At a non-stop pharmacy, all categories of medicines are available — OTC and Rx. For Rx you absolutely need a valid SIPE prescription (Romania's national electronic prescription system), either printed or as an electronic code. The night pharmacist is often alone and cannot do a detailed consultation — come prepared:

• the exact name of the medicine or its DCI (international nonproprietary name);
• the strength and form (tablets, syrup, ampoules);
• the quantity (1 box, 2 boxes);
• your health card, if it is a reimbursed Rx;
• cash or card — many non-stop pharmacies prefer simple transactions at night.

Medical emergency vs pharmaceutical emergency

It is important to tell them apart:

• Medical emergency (chest pain, severe shortness of breath, accident, seizures, suspected stroke): call 112 or go to the UPU (Unitatea de Primire Urgențe — the hospital Emergency Department) of the nearest hospital. The pharmacy cannot help you here.
• Pharmaceutical emergency (you've run out of insulin, you forgot your antihypertensive, your child has a fever of 39): the non-stop pharmacy. At the on-call counter, if the pharmacist sees a case beyond their competence, they send you straight to the UPU.

In the large hospitals (Bucharest — Floreasca, University Hospital; Cluj — county hospital; Timișoara — county hospital) there is a pharmacy with an outpatient circuit open non-stop for immediately needed Rx.

Differences between towns — what to know

In Bucharest — over 30 non-stop pharmacies across all districts, easily filtered on HartaFarmacii. The highest density is in District 1, 3 and 6.

In Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași, Constanța — 5-10 non-stop pharmacies in the central areas and some large peripheral areas.

In small towns (Roman, Mediaș, Lugoj, Câmpulung) — often a single on-call pharmacy per week, by rotation. Check the county DSP at most 1 day in advance.

In villages and communes — there is no non-stop pharmacy. The nearest ones are in the commune's seat town or the county's main municipality. For real emergencies, 112 + UPU.

How the on-call rotation works in small towns

In small municipalities and towns under 50,000 inhabitants, it is not economically feasible for every pharmacy to be non-stop. The solution is the weekly on-call plan organised by the county DSP together with the College of Pharmacists (Colegiul Farmaciștilor) and the Town Hall. Every authorised pharmacy in the town enters a rotation calendar — usually 1 week every X weeks, depending on the total number of participating pharmacies.

Technical details of the rotation:

• Public announcement — the monthly plan is posted at the town hall, on the county DSP website, on the door of the participating pharmacies and sometimes in the local press.
• On-call hours — usually from the close of the regular schedule (usually 9:00 PM or 10:00 PM) until the next day's opening (8:00 AM), weekends included. In some towns, a “daytime” on-call shift on weekends (8:00 AM-10:00 PM) + a night shift.
• Reduced staff — often a single pharmacist on call, with an intercom at the door (instead of a constantly open door). You ring, the pharmacist opens.
• Mandatory minimum stock — to be accepted into the rotation, the pharmacy must hold a minimum stock of essential medicines (paediatric antibiotics, paracetamol for children, painkillers, anti-asthma drugs, insulin, glucagon, adrenaline for anaphylaxis).

Failure to comply with the on-call plan (the pharmacy closing although it is on call) leads to penalties — a fine, temporary suspension, removal from the rotation for 3-6 months (which is a local competitive disadvantage). DSP field inspections are frequent.

Extended hours (until 10 PM) vs true non-stop

Mind the difference: many pharmacies in large cities have “extended hours” (open between 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM or 11:00 PM, weekends included), but they are not truly non-stop. For an emergency at 1 AM, only the 24/7 pharmacies or those on call according to the DSP plan operate. On HartaFarmacii, the “24/7” filter shows exclusively true non-stop; the “Open now” filter updates in real time according to the current hour.

The chains with the most non-stop points in 2026:

• Catena — a few dozen non-stop pharmacies nationwide, concentrated in large cities and on the main arteries.
• Dona — a good non-stop network in Bucharest, Cluj, Timișoara, Iași, Constanța.
• Help Net — a few strategic non-stop points (central Bucharest, malls).
• Tei — selectively non-stop, mainly in Districts 1, 3 and 6 of Bucharest.
• Dr.Max — expanding the non-stop network after the acquisition of A&D Pharma in 2022.

Top 10 Romanian cities — how they stand on non-stop

Based on public data + our own scrapers on HartaFarmacii, the density of non-stop pharmacies in 2026:

• Bucharest — 30+ non-stop pharmacies across all districts. District 1 (Aviatorilor, Dorobanți), District 3 (Unirii, Vitan) and District 6 (Militari, Drumul Taberei) have the highest density.
• Cluj-Napoca — ~10 non-stop, concentrated in Mărăști, Mănăștur, the Centre. The Catena on Bd. 21 Decembrie 1989 is a night-owl landmark.
• Timișoara — 8-10 non-stop, on Calea Aradului, Iosefin, the Centre.
• Iași — 7-9 non-stop, the Centre, Tătărași, Copou.
• Constanța — 6-8 non-stop, Faleza Nord, the Centre, Mamaia (in season).
• Brașov — 5-7 non-stop, the Centre, Tractorul, Răcădău.
• Craiova — 4-6 non-stop, the Centre, Brazda lui Novac.
• Galați — 4-6 non-stop, Mazepa, the Centre.
• Oradea — 4-5 non-stop, the Centre, Rogerius.
• Sibiu — 3-5 non-stop, the Centre, Vasile Aaron.

In towns under 100,000 inhabitants, the DSP on-call plan becomes mandatory for 24/7 coverage. On HartaFarmacii, each town has a dedicated page with “Pharmacies open now” updated in real time.

What to take for a quick night visit

Before you leave, make a short list on your phone. For each medicine: brand name, strength, form, quantity. If it is Rx, have your health card. If it is a reimbursed Rx, also have the printed copy or the SMS code from SIPE. Cash or card — it depends on the pharmacy, but card is safer (large amounts, no change at night).

If you have a new medical problem that appeared at night (food allergy, flu with a fever of 39, heatstroke, a bite), the night pharmacist can spend a minute on your symptoms and recommend OTCs or direct you to the UPU. Do not expect a full diagnosis — that is what the UPU or your family doctor the next day is for.

Practical tips for parents and chronic patients

• Save the address and phone number of 2-3 nearby non-stop pharmacies in your phone.
• For children — always keep paracetamol syrup and ibuprofen syrup at home. Cheaper to buy in the morning than at night (the price at night may be the same, but access is harder).
• Chronic patients — always keep a stock of at least 7 days above your current one. Insulin-dependent patients — at least 2 active pens.
• Check the expiry date of your first-aid kit once a year.