Greece approves 24‑hour airport pharmacies at Athens and Thessaloniki

The Greek government has issued a joint ministerial decision establishing a regulatory framework that allows up to two pharmacies at each of the country’s two largest international airports – Eleftherios Venizelos in Athens and Macedonia Airport in Thessaloniki. The licences will be granted under existing pharmaceutical law, permitting continuous operation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

One pharmacy already operates in the arrivals area of Eleftherios Venizelos. The new rules also enable the relocation of existing pharmacies to airport premises, provided the facilities lie within the same municipal boundaries. Locations may be on the ground floor or an upper level, with mandatory accessibility for persons with reduced mobility.

The decision aims to create a new market for pharmaceutical services within airport commercial spaces, covering both arrivals and departures zones, before or after passenger and baggage security checks.