In this installment of Panama Hacks, we want to quickly present the pharmacy options that you can find in Panama, either in the city or in the interior of the country. In addition to medicine sales, some of them also sell items from other categories, similar to the American chain CVS.
We constantly get questions about what day-to-day life is like in Panama. What are the most recognized supermarkets, the shopping centers with the best variety of stores, or the best pharmacies in the country? So we are going to name three that we believe meet three basic requirements: presence, variety, and availability of medicines.
El Javillo
First, we want to talk about one of the oldest pharmacies in Panama: Farmacia EL Javillo, founded by the Haseth family in 1921. This family, originally from Curaçao and Amsterdam; also co-founded the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Panama.
Currently, this chain, which we could say is more traditional, has 36 establishments nationwide, with a strong presence in the interior of the country and important cities such as Penonomé, Aguadulce, and, of course, an extensive network within Panama City. All its branches operate from 6:00 am and close, for the most part, at 9:30 pm. You can also contact them by WhatsApp at 6001-0202.
They also grant a 20% discount on medicines just by presenting a private insurance card.
Farmacia El Javillo is also a sister company of the Haseth Group, which distributes medicines in Panama from laboratories such as Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Novartis, Roche, and Sanofi, among others.
Arrocha
With more than 30 branches nationwide, one of them at the entrance to Playa Blanca on the Pan-American Highway, just 10 minutes from Buenaventura. Farmacias Arrocha is one of the references in terms of pharmacies due to its modern offer, which expands beyond the traditional pharmacy.
This chain also has more than 15 additional departments, such as technology, cosmetics, fragrances, toys, books, etc. Given its versatility, Farmacias Arrocha also has an extensive loyalty program with benefits in more than 50 allied establishments.
If what you are looking for is a place where you can make several purchases at once, Farmacias Arrocha is a good option for you. Most of its branches are open from Monday to Sunday, from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. If you have any questions, you can write them via WhatsApp at 6815-1053 or through the chat on their website.
Metro
Another pharmacy chain similar to a convenience store is Farmacias Metro. Also with more than 30 branches nationwide, most of which are located in Panama City.
We can place Metro Pharmacies between our two previous recommendations; it offers more categories than Farmacias Javillo, but it is not a department store like Farmacias Arrocha.
Farmacias Metro is part of Grupo Rey, so your purchases at its branches are also valid to participate in the promotional activities we mention in our articles about supermarkets in Panama.
Before concluding, we also want to tell you that, in addition to these pharmacy chains with their own stores, some supermarkets such as Super 99 or Riba Smith also have pharmacies within their establishments. Looking for a pharmacy open 24 hours? You can visit the pharmacies of the Pacifica Salud hospitals in Costa del Este and Punta Pacifica.
As you can see, in Panama there are quite a few options for buying medicines and pharmacy items, both in the city and in the interior. We hope that these references are helpful and have helped you learn more about Panama!
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Panama Hacks is our section with practical references for daily life in Panama, from which pharmacies can be open on Sundays to how to process your driver’s license. Subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss any. Do you have a particular topic you would like us to talk about? Write us at editor@panamaliving.com
