Reporting on the successful progress of the pharmacy reform, the Latvian Ministry of Health also mentioned some shortcomings that hinder patients from receiving the necessary treatment.
The agency summarizes patients' complaints about the absence of a number of familiar medicines in pharmacies.
The most frequently reported shortages are of treatments for:
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digestive tract and metabolic disorders;
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circulatory and hematopoietic organs;
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heart and blood vessels;
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dermatological agents and medicines for the urogenital system.
A total of 122 justified complaints were recorded last year (22 in 2024), and another 195 were dismissed as unjustified (113 in 2024).
In connection with the above, starting from July 1, 2026, pharmacy owners whose annual turnover exceeds (at least for 1 year) 5% of the total turnover in Latvia over a 5-year period are required to post information on their website about "the medicines available in each pharmacy and their prices."
However, it is worth remembering that a significant portion of patients are elderly people who are not familiar with computers, and therefore dissatisfaction and stress will obviously not be easily alleviated. Overall, this is an interesting initiative – the introduction of a regulated sector within a capitalist economy…
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