Balearic Islands approve 35 new pharmacies - Palma gets the most

More pharmacies, fewer queues: the islands respond

Late in the afternoon, as the sun in Palma begins to warm the stone facades, the decision was made: the Balearic government has approved the opening of 35 new pharmacies. It may sound bureaucratic, but for many residents it is a tangible relief — especially in places overwhelmed by summer tourism.

Who benefits?

Palma leads with 14 new permits. It is followed by several municipalities, namely Manacor, Llucmajor, Inca and Alcúdia. Ibiza also receives additional supply points. The decision is based on current figures: population increases, visitor flows and the strain on existing pharmacies during the summer months.

I met a friend yesterday morning who lives in the La Soledad district. She told me about long journeys when the neighboring pharmacy is closed: "On weekends you sometimes stand forever. For my mother with her tablets it's a nightmare." Such voices likely played a part in the decision.

Why now?

The health ministry argues pragmatically: in high season not only do beach visitors increase, but so does the demand for prescription medicines, painkillers and travel kit supplies. The goal is to increase supply security and avoid shortages. Customers waiting should also have shorter distances to travel — a plus for the elderly and people with mobility limitations.

Practically, this means: fewer crowded counters on rainy afternoons, more opening hours in remote areas and probably faster access in rural areas. In addition, new pharmacies could offer more flexible opening hours, on weekends or late evenings — this is in prospect once operators are found and premises adapted.

What awaits the towns?

The next steps are relatively unspectacular and will take a while: calls for locations, concrete approvals for staff and then fittings. Insiders realistically expect openings in stages over the coming months. Some operators will be well-known chains, others local owners — a mixed bag, so to speak.

In the short term the decision should relieve emergency services. In the long term the task remains to distribute pharmacies so that residents in smaller districts don't have to drive across half the village. That will require sensitivity and surely patience from all of us.

Whether the system really runs smoothly I will find out the next time I carry my combo pack of headache tablets home. Until then: a step in the right direction, I think — and many here on the island surely feel the same.