The 10 best pharmacies in Ciudad del Este

To choose a pharmacy in Ciudad del Este, start with where you are and what you need: picking up something over the counter downtown between shops is different from finding an antibiotic at night near home along Route PY02. Before you set off, call or message to confirm they're open right now and have the product. The list above gives you a starting point; this guide helps you decide which one fits.

Which pharmacy suits the part of town you're in?

Ciudad del Este stretches along Route PY02: from the microcentro the highway runs about 10 km with two service roads, Avenida San Blas (towards Asunción) and Avenida Monseñor Rodríguez (back towards CDE) (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). That shapes how to shop:

• Downtown (microcentro): the busiest area, next to the Friendship Bridge. If you're shopping, use a pharmacy on your route rather than coming back later.
• Along PY02 and its service roads: if you live or stay out along the kilometres, pick a pharmacy on the same service road you take home; crossing at rush hour takes time.
• Leaving a hospital: the Hospital Regional is in barrio Santa Ana on Route PY07, and the IPS (social security) hospital is in Área 1 on Monseñor Rodríguez (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). If you got a prescription there, look for a pharmacy nearby before heading home.

How do you find a pharmacy open now or 24 hours?

Don't rely only on the hours shown on the map; they're often out of date, especially on public holidays.

• Call and ask whether they're open right now and whether a pharmacist is on duty.
• Check the pharmacy's social media, where many post special hours and night shifts.
• Save the numbers of two pharmacies near you, one that opens at night, so you're not searching in a rush at 3 a.m.
• If you need delivery, ask whether they reach your barrio, how long it takes and whether you can pay on arrival.

When will you need a prescription?

Antibiotics have been prescription-only since 1 November 2018. The prescription is valid for five days and must include your details, ID number, the diagnosis, and the doctor's signature, stamp and registration number (La Nación⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Check it before you leave the doctor's office; if something is missing, the pharmacy can refuse the sale.

For other prescription medicines, bring the original. A WhatsApp photo is fine for checking price and stock, not for buying.

How do you avoid fake or unregistered medicines?

Every medicine sold in Paraguay must have its health registration printed on the box, along with the manufacturer. In its inspections, Dinavisa, the national health products regulator, has found unregistered products in pharmacies, prices above the set level and missing cold-chain equipment (Última Hora⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). In CDE, prosecutors raided a storeroom in a downtown building in 2023 and found anabolic steroids, expired medicines and what appeared to be a small counterfeiting "lab" (La Nación⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

In practice:

• Buy medicines at a pharmacy, not at a shopping-arcade stall or through Instagram.
• Check the box shows the health registration, batch and expiry date, and isn't opened or relabelled.
• For insulin, vaccines or anything that needs refrigeration, ask how it's stored and have it handed over cold.

Coming from Brazil or Argentina?

Portuguese is widely spoken in Ciudad del Este (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠), and shops in the commercial areas usually take reais and dollars, though the exchange rate varies from shop to shop (Western Union⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Ask which currency and rate before you pay.

Brand names differ between countries, so write down the active ingredient and dose. If you're crossing into Brazil with medicines, Anvisa only allows them for your own use, with a prescription, in the original packaging and in a quantity consistent with the treatment (Anvisa⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Some Paraguayan tirzepatide brands, such as T36, are banned in Brazil even for personal use (O Povo, 2026⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).