Getting medicines in Qatar: prescriptions, 24-hour pharmacies and home delivery

Qatar has two ways to get medicines: the pharmacies inside public hospitals and health centres (Hamad Medical Corporation, HMC, and Primary Health Care Corporation, PHCC), and thousands of private pharmacies in malls, supermarkets and neighbourhoods, some open around the clock. Simple remedies are sold over the counter, but most medicines, including antibiotics, need a prescription from a doctor licensed in Qatar, and pharmacies here do not accept prescriptions written abroad. If you take regular medicine, the order is: register for public healthcare or check your insurance, see a doctor in Qatar early, then use refills and home delivery so you do not run out. This guide covers everyday buying, prescriptions, public refills and delivery, insurance at the counter, and finding a pharmacy at night. Bringing medicines with you when you fly is a separate process, covered in our guide on bringing medicines into Qatar.

Before you start

• Your valid QID (Qatar ID); public facilities now use it in place of the old health card
• Active registration with PHCC and HMC, if you will use public pharmacies
• Your insurance card or insurer app, if your employer gives private medical insurance
• A list of every medicine you take: generic (active ingredient) name, strength and dose, from the pack or your old prescription
• Your old prescriptions and a recent medical report from home, in English or Arabic, to show the doctor in Qatar
• Your health centre's WhatsApp pharmacy number (listed on phcc.gov.qa) and the Lbaih app if you are an HMC patient
• Your national address (zone, street and building number) for home delivery
• A bank card to pay for medicines and the delivery fee

Step by step

1. Know what you can buy without a prescription

   Everyday remedies such as paracetamol, cold and flu tablets, antacids, antihistamines, rehydration salts and creams are sold over the counter in any licensed pharmacy. Most other medicines are prescription-only, and that includes antibiotics, blood pressure and diabetes tablets, and most hormone and mental-health medicines. A pharmacist in Qatar can only dispense these against a prescription from a doctor licensed in Qatar, so a prescription from your home country is not enough on its own. For some common medicines a pharmacist may give a small supply at their own discretion, but do not count on it. Always ask the pharmacist about dose and interactions; it is free and part of their job.

2. Get a local prescription early

   If you take regular medicine, book a doctor soon after you arrive rather than waiting until your packs run out. You can see your family doctor at your PHCC health centre once you are registered, or use a private clinic, which is often faster and may be covered by your insurance. Take your old prescriptions, a medical report and the packs themselves, so the doctor can prescribe the same active ingredient even if the brand differs here. Ask the doctor to prescribe enough for a sensible period and to note it is long-term treatment, which makes refills easier. Controlled medicines (some painkillers, sleeping tablets, ADHD and anxiety medicines) follow stricter rules: the doctor opens a medical file and decides where and how they are dispensed.

   Read guide: Get your health card (now linked to your QID) →

3. Collect medicines at a public pharmacy

   After a PHCC or HMC appointment, take your prescription straight to the pharmacy in the same building. At HMC hospitals non-Qatari patients usually hand in the prescription, get a number, pay at the cashier and then collect at the dispensing window; Qatari patients do not pay. Residents pay subsidised charges for medicines at public pharmacies, so check the amount at the counter. Have your QID with you. If a medicine is out of stock, ask the pharmacist when it will arrive or whether there is an equivalent, and keep your prescription so you can buy it privately if you need to start at once.

4. Order HMC refills and home delivery

   If your specialist or clinic at Hamad prescribes regular medicine, you do not need to queue for every refill. Order it in Lbaih, HMC's official app (Lbaih / لبيه on the App Store and Google Play), which lets you request medication refills for home delivery, or call the National Healthcare Helpline on 16000, press 3 for HMC and then 2 for pharmacy services. Qatar Post brings the medicines to your door, usually within about two working days. HMC has said the service is open to all its patients, Qatari and resident. Pay for the medicines and the delivery fee by card, and make sure your national address is correct.

   Read guide: Seeing a specialist at Hamad: referrals, booking and changing HMC appointments →

5. Use PHCC's WhatsApp refill service

   PHCC health centres each have a dedicated WhatsApp number for medicine refills and home delivery, listed on the PHCC website. Send "Hello" to your own health centre's number, and a pharmacist will contact you to check your prescription. Requests are handled Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 2pm and 4pm to 10pm, not at weekends. The medicines arrive by Qatar Post, usually within two working days, and you pay the delivery fee on delivery. This suits chronic conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure or asthma; if your prescription has run out, the pharmacist will tell you whether you need to see your doctor first. For help, call 16000 or 107.

6. Use your insurance at private pharmacies

   If you have private medical insurance, many private pharmacies can bill your insurer directly. Show your insurance card or digital card and your QID with the prescription, and you pay only your co-payment, if your plan has one. Direct billing only works at pharmacies in your insurer's network, and some plans limit chronic medicines or need prior approval, so check the table of benefits or ask your insurer before you buy. If you pay yourself, keep the itemised receipt and the prescription to claim it back. Over-the-counter items without a prescription are usually not covered.

   Read guide: Health insurance in Qatar: what residents and visitors need →

7. Compare prices and ask for generics

   Medicine prices in Qatar are set by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) when each product is registered, based on its cost, reference prices and the alternatives on the market. MOPH also cuts prices from time to time: in August 2025 it reduced the price of 1,019 products, including heart, diabetes, blood pressure, antibiotic and mental-health medicines, by 15% to 75%. Ask the pharmacist whether a cheaper generic with the same active ingredient is available; it often costs much less. Some brands from your home country are not registered in Qatar, so the pharmacist may offer an equivalent rather than the exact product. Do not buy medicines from unlicensed sellers or social-media accounts, as they may be fake or unsafe.

8. Find a pharmacy at night or on holidays

   Several private pharmacy chains run branches open 24 hours in Doha and in larger towns such as Al Wakra, Al Rayyan and Lusail, and many others stay open until late at night. The quickest way to find one is a map app search for "24 hour pharmacy" near you, then call ahead to check the medicine is in stock. Delivery apps such as Talabat and Snoonu have pharmacy sections for over-the-counter items; prescription medicines still need a valid Qatar prescription. During Eid and other public holidays, MOPH announces which health centres stay open, and urgent care runs at selected PHCC centres around the clock. For anything serious at night, go to an emergency department rather than a pharmacy.

   Read guide: Emergencies in Qatar: who to call and where to go →

9. Keep your medicines and records safe

   Keep medicines in their original packs with the leaflet and label, especially controlled ones, so you can always show they were prescribed to you. Never share prescription medicines with friends or housemates, and do not sell or give away leftovers; for controlled medicines this can be a serious offence. Qatar's heat damages many medicines, so do not leave them in a parked car, and store insulin and other fridge items as the pharmacist tells you. Keep photos of your prescriptions on your phone. Ask the pharmacy how to dispose of expired or unused medicines rather than putting them in the bin.

   Read guide: Surviving Qatar's summer: heat safety and staying cool →

10. Plan supplies before you travel or leave

    Before a long trip, ask your doctor for enough medicine to cover it, and order refills a couple of weeks ahead because delivery takes a few days. If you are travelling with controlled medicines, check the rules of your destination and the MOPH exit permit covered in our guide on bringing medicines into Qatar. If you are leaving Qatar for good, ask your doctor for a medical report and copies of your prescriptions so a doctor at home can continue your treatment. Do not try to post medicines to yourself in Qatar from abroad; parcels with medicines can be held by customs.

    Read guide: Bringing medicines into Qatar: controlled drugs and the MOPH e-permit →

What it costs

Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.

Common mistakes

• Arriving with only a few weeks of regular medicine and no plan to see a doctor in Qatar, then running out.
• Expecting a pharmacy to dispense prescription medicine against a prescription from your home country.
• Asking a pharmacist for antibiotics without a prescription, or using leftover antibiotics from a friend.
• Waiting until the last tablet to order a refill, when home delivery takes about two working days and does not run at weekends.
• Buying at a pharmacy outside your insurer's network and then finding the claim is refused or reduced.
• Giving a wrong or incomplete national address, so the Qatar Post delivery cannot find you.
• Buying cheap medicines from social-media sellers or unlicensed websites.
• Leaving insulin or other medicines in a hot car.

Questions people ask

Official sources

• PHCC: pharmacy services and medicine home delivery ↗
• Qatar Tribune (Mar 2026): HMC medicine delivery via Lbaih and 16000 ↗
• The Peninsula (Mar 2026): PHCC WhatsApp refills and home delivery ↗
• The Peninsula (Jan 2025): medicine home delivery fee and how to order ↗
• Gulf Times (Aug 2025): MOPH cuts prices of 1,019 medicines ↗
• HMC: collecting your medicines after an appointment ↗

Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.

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