Lithuanian lawmakers have voted down plans to establish state-owned pharmacies that would operate in hospitals. The proposals were initiated by a group of opposition MPs.
Currently, hospital-based pharmacies are not allowed to sell medicines to outpatients and sell them only to inpatients. The former can only buy medicines from private pharmacies operating on hospital premises.
Moreover, hospital-based pharmacies supply medicines and other medical supplies only to the medical facility where they are located.
The opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union had proposed establishing state-owned pharmacies when they were in power from 2016 to 2020, but the necessary laws were never adopted.
The state now owns the only Universiteto Vaistinė chain of four pharmacies in Vilnius.
Private pharmacy chains operating in Lithuania include Camelia, Eurovaistinė, Gintarinė, Norfa and Benu.
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