Pharmacies play the important role of serving as the middleman between your doctor and your medicine. However, their service must always go beyond to give you a complete experience.
Check out our list of the best pharmacies in Ireland. We’ve done the research and summarised everything for you here.
We’ve also included their pros and cons along with FAQs by the end.
The Best Pharmacies in Ireland
To assess the different pharmacies in Ireland, we used these criteria:
1. Lombard Pharmacy
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Range of services | ★★★★☆(4/5) |
| Unique services provided | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Equipment and tests available | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Prices | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Pharmacists’ skill | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Handling prescriptions | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Administering medical tests | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Lombard Pharmacy’s staff is what makes them notable, as their collective experience and educational backgrounds make them highly competent. Their team is composed of licensed pharmacists, technicians, OTC managers, and salespeople with medicinal experience.
Many compliment their staff for being friendly and easy to communicate with. They explain medicinal instructions well and do their best to guide customers properly.
They are also one of the few pharmacies to have a mobile application, which is available both for Apple and Android devices. It is easy to use and useful for refill prescriptions, dose reminders, and medicinal information.
We also liked how informative their website is. Here, information about their services such as blood pressure monitoring and emergency contraception is well-explained.
Students and staff of Atlantic College and Trinity College Dublin are also given special discounts as long as they present their ID. Given the universities’ proximity to the pharmacy, many students are regular buyers here.
However, the store can easily have long lines, especially during peak hours. This is why lining up early is advised.
Pros
- Highly experienced and friendly staff
- Mobile application for prescriptions and reminders
- Informative website
- Discounts for students and staff of nearby universities
Cons
- Long lines because of high demand
Customer Reviews
Great staff!
“Great staff! I needed a pre-flight COVID test in order to fly home to the U.S., and the staff were very accommodating.
(I would *highly* recommend getting a test here rather than at the airport. You’ll avoid the crowds and stress, and you’ll get far better service.)” – David Price, Google Reviews
Took the time to listen to my needs
“I went to pick up some medicine and the girl at the counter, Tanya, was very attentive and helpful in helping me get the right products. She really took the time to listen to my needs and thus helped me get the most suitable product. I will most certainly be back.” – Shane Brennan, Google Reviews
2. Kingswood Pharmacy
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Range of services | ★★★★★(5/5) |
| Unique services provided | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Equipment and tests available | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Prices | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Pharmacists’ skill | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Handling prescriptions | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Administering medical tests | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Kingswood has been around since 1995, and they’ve established a reputation of being a highly reliable pharmacy. In fact, they’ve established a network of regulars who rely on them for various medicinal and testing services.
They have one of the most extensive lists of services, from emergency contraception, blood pressure monitoring, smoking cessation, and more. We like how they go the extra mile by providing asthma, allergy, and lifestyle improvement advice.
The pharmacy is manned by highly competent professionals who have expertise in vitamins, minerals, baby care, beauty, and more. Through this, customers are given many tips about the medicine that they purchase.
We appreciate their well-made process for handling transactions involving medical cards, drug payment schemes, and the Health Service Executive or HSE. This lessens the stress of having to deal with paperwork.
However, we found their website to be quite lacklustre in terms of providing information about their services. Instead of providing descriptions, it only serves as a way of sending an inquiry about their services, which usually takes days to be answered.
Aside from that, we found their operating hours to be irregular and inconvenient during weekends.
Pros
- Well-known in Kingswood
- Offers many services
- Handles medical insurance-related transactions well
- Diverse skill background of staff
Cons
- Inadequate info on website
- Irregular opening hours
Customer Reviews
Amazing staff
“Amazing staff. So friendly and knowledgeable. Great stock all round even gifts make up etc” – Sonya Dooner, Google Reviews
Very professional
“Very professional and friendly service and staff” – Paul Shan, Google Reviews
3. Remedi Pharmacy
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Range of services | ★★★★★(5/5) |
| Unique services provided | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Equipment and tests available | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Prices | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Pharmacists’ skill | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Handling prescriptions | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Administering medical tests | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Remedi Pharmacy’s best feature is their online services. Through their website, you can easily schedule purchasing morning-after pills, refills, and medicine.
By winning the Irish Pharmacy Awards GSK Self Care Award in 2019, they’ve proven that they go beyond pharmaceutical services and extend their efforts by promoting community health services.
We also liked their mobile application for prescriptions, as it is helpful for dose reminders. It also has additional information available about different forms of medicine, which we appreciate.
To make it easier to buy your prescription medicine, you can use their Quick Scan option when buying online. We find this to be highly convenient, as many medicine names are hard to encode because of their long names.
Their delivery service also arrives quickly, which is always a plus. Through this, getting medicines without having to visit their brick-and-mortar place is easy.
The only downside is that their fees can be expensive, especially for delivery and testing fees.
Pros
- Awarded by Irish Pharmacy Awards
- Well-made online selling platform
- Quick delivery services
- Informative website
Cons
- Some fees are pricey
Customer Reviews
Amazing staff
“Hi, I have been going to this chemist for a few years now. My GP emails my prescription and then they have it ready for collection whenever I need it. Super super service!! But more so it’s always been embarrassing to me to pickup medication but that changed when I started going here, all the staff so friendly, caring, helpful and always with a smile. Thank you so much. I would highly recommend, Karen 😎😎” – Karen Walsh, Google Reviews
Extremely caring
“Placed on order online for alot of ibs medications for my fiancée, was just doing a haul for a few months. A wonderful pharmacist called me concerned that there may be an underlying condition with him..Extremely caring person, going beyond to phone me and tell me there are new prescription treatment options that are being used for ibs and to check with his gp if he may be suitable for them. I felt like although I ordered online I was still getting the personal touch. Thank you.”- Aiofe Dunne, Google Reviews
4. Thomas Street Pharmacy
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Range of services | ★★★★☆(4/5) |
| Unique services provided | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Equipment and tests available | ★★★★☆ (5/5) |
| Prices | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Pharmacists’ skill | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Handling prescriptions | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Administering medical tests | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Thomas Street Pharmacy is well-known for being the primary provider of Mushatts products. This product line is well-received as we can see in positive reviews speaking about its effectiveness in treating skin and hair diseases.
Their representatives explain dosages and medicine information well. They also remember names and prescriptions, which is why they have many regulars in the area.
Patients suffering from skin and diabetes issues will also like the store because their representatives are knowledgeable about these. They offer valuable advice about medicine, dosing, and treatment plans for treating it.
They also offer good prices for their medicine and medical tests. Processing health insurance-related transactions is also hassle-free with them.
However, we found their website to be inadequate in terms of information and service description. Also, instead of providing staff photos, they instead use watermarked clip art, which can be seen as improper for some.
They can also benefit from expanding their services, as it is limited in comparison to other pharmacies.
Pros
- Friendly and accommodating staff
- Expertise in skin and diabetes issues
- Affordable prices
- Known for skincare products
Cons
- Incomplete website design and information
- Limited additional services
Customer Reviews
Great place and helpful staff
“Great place and helpful staff. Reliable for the everyday-pharmacy services and great at the bespoke stuff too – have had an item ordered in especially, clear that the staff care about their customers. It’s also very much at one with the surrounding neighbourhood (which is fast becoming a preferred location for tech startups). Especially liked the window box featuring local artwork by NCAD students – see street-view photo of the boys in green 2016! Tourists can often be spotted marvelling outside at the authentic display, on their way to/from the Guinness Factory.” – Kevin Timoney, Google Reviews
Very helpful
“I had to go here to get something for my sinuses which were very imflammed and causing a horrible headache. I spoke with the pharmacist and he was very helpful, offering me a range of products. We eventually settled on one that he thought would be the best solution. He seemed to be very knowledgeable about all the products and gave good, clear advice which helped relieve my symptoms. I dont live near the pharmacy but I would definately go back there again if I am nearby.”- Michael McCarthy, Google Reviews
5. Blackglen Pharmacy
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Range of services | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Unique services provided | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Equipment and tests available | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Prices | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Pharmacists’ skill | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Handling prescriptions | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Administering medical tests | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Blackglen Pharmacy is known for being one of the pharmacies open until 9 PM, which is convenient for night-shift workers. It also allows them to respond to sudden emergencies.
Their representatives are known for being hands-on when it comes to prescriptions, medicinal advice, and testing. They always ensure that clients are well-informed about them.
Vaccination is one of their areas of expertise. The whole process is straightforward, from scheduling to receiving a dose.
We also found their website to be informative and simple to use. Here, checking out info about additional services, looking for products, and ordering prescription medicine is easy.
Another highlight is the variety of products that they offer. They’re also well-stocked, which makes them highly dependable.
Their opening hours also allow them to not be overcrowded, as people can visit late at night. Long lines are a rare sight in the store.
They also offer many discounts on their website, such as for anti-smoking and foot care products.
The only downside is that they are quite limited in terms of additional services and testing.
Pros
- Open until 9 PM
- Informative website
- Expertise in vaccination
- Does not have long line queues
Cons
- Limited additional medicinal services
Customer Reviews
Can’t thank them enough
“I happened to be in need of some assistance after a water burn to my hands at the weekend. Popped in for help expecting to get a few aspirin and sent on my way. Both Pharmacist and assistant went above and beyond…..sat me down, took time to look at my injuries and dressed my wounds…I would not have been treated better by a public professional….cant thank them enough, the journey I had to make after was painful but manageable only for the care that they had shown…Very much appreciated…..and thank you again.” – Leonard Wilson, Google Reviews
Went above and beyond
“Brought my mum for her booster covid injection. Amy was so helpful on the phone and then came out to the car to give my mum her injection. She went above and beyond thank you so much Amy”- Laura Smyth, Google Reviews
FAQs about Pharmacies in Ireland
Medication is just one part of healing. To help you in primary matters related to healthcare, check out these articles: