Dubai: Woke up with high fever in the middle of the night? Or got a nasty toothache in the early morning hours? If you find yourself scrambling to find the right medication at odd hours of the night, knowing which pharmacies operate around the clock can be a big help.
In Abu Dhabi, there are several healthcare providers that operate 24-hour pharmacies in the Emirate. You can easily locate one in your area through the Abu Dhabi Government services website – tamm.abudhabi. The website provides access to a range of government services in the Emirate.
How do I find the nearest 24-hour pharmacy?
To search for a pharmacy in your neighbourhood in Abu Dhabi, follow these steps:
1. Visit the Tamm website and select the service ‘Get medical treatment’ - https://www.tamm.abudhabi/journeys/get-medical-treatment/
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click ‘Start’.
3. Under ‘Search and Tools’, click on ‘Search for Medical Providers’.
4. Enter the details of your current location. Then select ‘Pharmacy’ from the options for healthcare establishments.
5. On the left-hand menu, click on ‘Open 24 Hours’ and check the box for the filter. Then click ‘Apply filters’.
The website will then provide a list of all the 24-hour pharmacies in your neighbouhood.
You can click on ‘View Details’ for each, to access their location details and contact number.
If you are an Abu Dhabi resident, you may also want to download the ‘Tamm – Abu Dhabi government’ app, which is available for both Apple and Android devices, to easily access all other government services, too.
How do I know if the pharmacy is licensed?
To check the eligibility of a healthcare facility in Abu Dhabi, you would need the facility’s licence number. The Department of Health (DOH) provides a list of all licensed healthcare facilities, along with their licence numbers, on its website. To access the list, follow these steps:
1. Visit the DoH Website - www.doh.gov.ae
2. From the menu on the top of the page, click on ‘Shafafiya’, and then select ‘Dictionary’.
3. Scroll down to the ‘Licences’ section of the dictionary, and click on ‘Facilities’.
4. This will download an excel sheet which provides details of the names, licence numbers, area and type of facility for each healthcare establishment licensed by DOH.
Checking validity of licence
You can also check if the pharmacy’s licence is valid through the Tamm website, by following these steps:
1. Visit - https://www.tamm.abudhabi/en/services/tamm-doh/healthfacilitylicense
2. Enter the licence number of the facility.
3. Confirm the Captcha code for verification purposes.
4. Click on ‘Search’.
The website will then give the status of the establishment’s licence, whether it has been approved or is still under process, and what type of services the establishment is licensed to provide.
- The writer is an intern with Gulf News