Estonia is preparing a legal framework for self-service pharmacy machines. The Ministry of Social Affairs has submitted amendments to the Medicinal Products Act for approval. The changes would allow medicines to be dispensed through special machines with the involvement of a pharmacist via video link.
This is not about selling medicines without supervision, as in an ordinary vending machine. According to the ministry’s plan, the pharmacy machine would be part of an existing retail pharmacy. The decision to dispense a medicine would have to be made by a pharmacist. The specialist would join the purchase remotely, check the prescription, assess the suitability of the medicine and advise the person on how to use it.
Which medicines could be obtained through the machine
The draft law would allow both over-the-counter medicines and prescription medicines issued via a digital prescription to be dispensed through the machines. For prescription medicines, the buyer would have to identify themselves, for example using an ID card, Mobile-ID or Smart-ID.
After that, the pharmacist would be able to check the prescription, clarify the person’s symptoms, give recommendations and confirm the purchase. Only after confirmation by the specialist would the machine dispense the medicine.
The ministry stresses that people must not be left without consultation. Formally, the machine would not replace pharmacies, but would supplement the existing pharmacy network.
Why this is needed
The main reason is access to medicines in smaller settlements and outside regular pharmacy opening hours. Over the past decades, pharmacy services in Estonia have become increasingly concentrated in larger centres. In smaller places, there is often no pharmacy at all, or it operates with limited opening hours.
According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, patients at 60 family doctor centres do not have a pharmacy in their own settlement. This means that a doctor can issue a prescription, but the patient has to travel elsewhere to collect the medicine.
Another problem is the lack of 24-hour pharmacy services across almost the entire country. At present, on-duty pharmacies operate in only three locations: two in Tallinn and one in Tartu.
Where the machines could appear
The exact locations have not yet been named. The draft says the machines should improve access to medicines, rather than simply appear in places where pharmacies are already sufficient. Restrictions are therefore being discussed to prevent such services from being concentrated only in large cities or pushing out regular pharmacies.
The machines would not become an independent business for wholesalers. They would have to be linked to a retail pharmacy, which would be responsible for the service, storage of medicines, consultation and dispensing.
At the same time, pharmacies would not be required to install such machines. Each pharmacy chain or pharmacy owner would be able to decide for itself whether launching the service makes sense.
A similar project has already been tested in Rapla
Estonia has already had a pilot project for a self-service pharmacy. The first machine operated at Rapla Prisma BENU Apteek. It allowed customers to buy common over-the-counter medicines, food supplements, care products and other pharmacy goods. When buying an over-the-counter medicine, the customer had to contact an online pharmacist.
Prescription medicines were not sold through the machine during the pilot. Customers were advised to buy them at a regular pharmacy or an online pharmacy.
The main limitation of the pilot was legal. Under the current law, the machine could operate only inside a regular pharmacy and only during its opening hours. A separate legal framework is needed for a full 24-hour service.
What supporters say
The Ministry of Social Affairs believes pharmacy machines could help people obtain basic medicines faster and closer to home. Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller said the machine should not replace a pharmacy, but could help in situations where the nearest pharmacy is far away or already closed.
According to her, it is important not only to dispense the medicine, but also to preserve professional consultation. That is why the proposed model includes a video link with a pharmacist, who would make the decision on whether the medicine can be dispensed.
Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry Erkki Keldo linked the project to the development of innovative solutions in regulated sectors. According to him, Estonia should create conditions that allow new technologies to reach everyday life rather than remain merely ideas.
What critics say
The idea also has opponents. Some pharmacists doubt that such machines would pay for themselves, especially in small settlements where there are few people and the installation and maintenance of the system could be expensive.
Pharmacist Karin Alamaa-Aas previously told ERR that a machine could be a logical solution for places without a pharmacy, such as islands or sparsely populated areas. In her view, however, there is no point spending money on such solutions in cities where pharmacy services are already available.
There are also practical questions: who will pay for installation, how 24-hour video consultations will be organised, which medicines can be stored in the machine, how temperature requirements will be ensured, and how data security and protection against misuse will be guaranteed.
What else is changing in the pharmacy system
The bill is not limited to pharmacy machines. It also proposes changes to the way medicines are prepared in pharmacies.
At present, some pharmacies are required to have premises, equipment and staff for preparing medicines, even though in practice only a small number of such medicines are made. According to preparatory materials, about 70% of pharmacies in 2024 did not prepare or dispense a single such medicine.
The new model would allow one pharmacy to order the preparation of a medicine from another pharmacy that has the necessary equipment and experience. For the patient, the process should remain the same: they would go to their own pharmacy and receive the medicine there. Only the internal organisation of work between pharmacies would change.
The draft also expands the role of hospital pharmacies. In the future, a retail pharmacy would be able to order the preparation of a medicine from a hospital pharmacy if it cannot prepare it itself. Hospital pharmacies, however, would not receive the right to sell medicines directly to the public.
What happens next
The bill is currently at the consultation stage. After feedback is received, it will become clear in what form the amendments will move forward and when pharmacy machines could actually appear in Estonia.
For now, this does not mean that medicine machines will appear immediately. In practice, their launch would require not only changes in the law, but also pharmacies’ willingness to invest in equipment, video consultations, technical support and safety controls.
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