On-Duty Pharmacies in Northern Cyprus — Where to Buy Medicines at Night and on Weekends

There are no usual 24-hour pharmacies in Northern Cyprus, but there is a convenient system of duty pharmacies (in Turkish — Nöbetçi Eczane). These are pharmacies that operate at night, on weekends, and public holidays so that residents and tourists can purchase necessary medicines at any time.

• How the duty pharmacy system works
• Where to find a duty pharmacy
• Mobile app for finding pharmacies
• Useful tips for tourists

How the duty pharmacy system works

Every day, one or more pharmacies in the city are assigned to stay open after the usual working hours. The duty schedule is approved by the local pharmacists' association and updated daily. Thus, at any time, there is at least one pharmacy on duty in the city or district.

Regular pharmacies in Northern Cyprus operate Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:30, with a lunch break around 13:00–14:00. On Saturdays, they are open until noon, and on Sundays — closed. During off-hours, the duty pharmacy serves customers continuously.

Where to find a duty pharmacy

Information about duty pharmacies can be found on the doors of any open pharmacy — a list of pharmacies on duty in the coming days is usually posted there. Updated data is also published on local municipality websites and official Telegram channels.

The current list of duty pharmacies across all cities in Northern Cyprus can be checked daily on our channel Nöbetçi Eczane. Here, addresses, phone numbers, and working hours of pharmacies in Nicosia, Famagusta, Kyrenia, Güzelyurt, İskele, and Lefke are published.

Mobile app for finding pharmacies

The Pharmacists’ Association of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus developed the official mobile application “Kıbrıs Türk Eczacılar Birliği”, which updates information about duty pharmacies across the island daily.

The app is available in the App Store and allows you to:

• view the list of all open pharmacies in your city or district;
• find the exact address, phone number, and working hours of duty pharmacies;
• get directions to the nearest pharmacy using the map;
• see which pharmacies will be on duty in the coming days.

The app interface is in Turkish but is simple and intuitive. You just need to select a city (for example, Lefkoşa, Girne, Famagusta), and the system will show current pharmacies on the map and as a list.

Useful tips for tourists

If you are visiting Northern Cyprus on vacation or have recently moved here, pay attention to a few practical recommendations:

• Keep your prescription with you, if you need prescription medications. In some cases, the pharmacist may refuse to sell without a prescription.
• Check the address of the duty pharmacy, as there may be several in large cities (e.g., Nicosia).
• Pharmacists often speak English, especially in tourist areas, but you can also show a photo of the medicine packaging.
• Pharmacy items (thermometers, vitamins, bandages) can also be bought in supermarkets, but prescription medicines are only available in pharmacies.

Follow the current on-duty pharmacies in Northern Cyprus on the Telegram channel Nöbetçi Eczane — updates are published daily, and also on our website.