Estonia is taking a big step towards a new model of pharmacy services. The draft legislation enabling 24/7 automated pharmacies has been approved by the Government and is now being submitted to the Estonian Parliament. In 2022, Grab2Go, a technology company that secured €300,000 in funding through an EstBAN syndicate, will soon therefore be able to enter the market with its automated pharmacy kiosks. The lead investor for the EstBAN syndicate is Mait Sooaru.
The updated legislation will allow self-service pharmacies to operate as automated units of existing pharmacies. Medicines will be sold without a pharmacist being physically present on site, while patients will still get professional advice from pharmacists through remote video consultations.
For consumers, the change will mean access to medicines outside traditional pharmacy opening hours. For businesses, it opens up opportunities to develop new models for delivering healthcare services.
The project began when the technology company Grab2Go encountered regulatory obstacles while developing their automated pharmacy solution. The biggest obstacle was that in the current Medicinal Products Act, the sale of medications can only take place with a pharmacist physically present. Rather than abandoning their idea, co-founders Mart Viilipus and Reio Orasmäe brought the challenge to Accelerate Estonia, setting in motion a process to change the regulatory framework.
For Grab2Go, this is an important step towards bringing automated pharmacy services to market. “Our aim is to help pharmacies extend opening hours and address staffing shortages, while keeping professional advice available through video consultations. The proposed legislation would allow us to move forward with pharmacy operators and make medicines more accessible when people need them,” said Reio Orasmäe, Co-Founder of Grab2Go.
Olari Püvi, Head of Accelerate Estonia: “The milestone illustrates how regulatory innovation can help create space for new technologies, business models and services in Estonia. Moreover, as other countries are also interested in Grab2Go’s solution, it opens up export opportunities for Estonian health tech companies.”
The legislative change has been driven by a collaboration between Accelerate Estonia and the Ministry of Social Affairs, following work to identify the regulatory barriers preventing automated pharmacy services from entering the Estonian market. The bill is now moving to the Estonian Parliament for a vote, with implementation scheduled for March 1, 2027.
