A round-the-clock pharmacy service returned to Bratislava on 1 September 2026. The pharmacy on Ružinovská Street is now open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and public holidays. The service is a joint initiative of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region (BSK) and the Faculty of Pharmacy at Comenius University Bratislava (FPHARM CU).
Access to medicines at night has long been a serious problem in the Bratislava Region, as even pharmacies providing out-of-hours services previously closed by 10.00 pm. The new 24-hour pharmacy will help patients who need medication urgently, whether after visiting an emergency department, following a sudden illness in a child or adult, or when a prescription is issued late at night.
Situated on Ružinovská Street close to Ružinov Hospital, the pharmacy has a long history of providing overnight services and is a natural location for the new 24-hour operation. It was a difficult decision to suspend its night service in summer 2024 due to operational problems. After intensive discussions with BSK, however, a sustainable solution was found. BSK will subsidise the pharmacy’s 24-hour operation, while FPHARM CU will provide the necessary expertise and staff.
As a university, we have brought together the public interest and the expertise available at CU’s Faculty of Pharmacy. This allows us to fulfil a new role for public universities by making a tangible, clearly defined contribution to society that the public both wants and needs
Ján Klimas, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy of CU, at the opening.
For the Faculty of Pharmacy of CU, restoring 24-hour operation is more than a return to providing an out-of-hours service: it is also a major step forward in the quality of its teaching and the range of services it provides. The teaching pharmacy is an important healthcare facility where students gain hands-on experience in a working environment under the supervision of experienced pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
Dean Klimas pointed out that European legislation and education standards require future pharmacists to be prepared to deliver prevention programmes and public health campaigns. The project takes teaching out of the classroom and brings students into direct contact with patients.
“This will be about more than dispensing medicines at night and providing an out-of-hours service. In our discussions with the Region, we considered other services that we want to offer residents, ranging from awareness and screening programmes to advice on medicines and their use. This is also important to me as the academic lead for the Pharmacy study programme, because we train our students to provide a full range of public health services,” Ján Klimas added.
