Pharmacy Open Now in Morocco — 24/7 On-Call Guide for Visitors

01Safety alert — read before any purchase#

Emergency numbers in Morocco: SAMU 150 · Civil Protection 150 · Police 19 · Royal Gendarmerie 177. The 141 number is a Maroc Telecom directory information service, not a medical emergency line. The confusion between the two numbers is very common among foreign tourists and Moroccans residing abroad, and may cost precious minutes in a life-threatening emergency.

Pregnant women, children under 6, frail elderly, chronic patients: absolutely no self-medication. These groups face higher risks of drug interactions and unsuitable doses, and should always be directed to an actual medical consultation, whether in-person or remote.

Red flag signs that require immediate transport to a hospital emergency department: fever above 39 °C unresponsive to paracetamol, diarrhoea with fever and blood or mucus (dysentery syndrome), infant dehydration, chest pain, altered consciousness, breathing difficulty, active bleeding, severe headache with neck stiffness and photophobia (suspected meningitis). For these situations the pharmacy is not the right destination — hospital is.

02Why Moroccan pharmacies operate on a rotation#

Morocco has over 12,000 community pharmacies distributed across the territory (estimates from the National Council of the Order of Pharmacists CNOP and the Ministry of Health). Standard opening hours run Monday to Saturday 8:30-12:30 and again 15:00-19:30, with a half-day closure on Saturday in some cities and full closure on Sunday, religious holidays and national holidays.

Law 17-04 governing the Code of Medicines and Pharmacy, enacted in 2006, requires the titular pharmacist to be physically present inside the establishment and does not allow delegation of sales to an unlicensed assistant. At the same time, Morocco welcomes 17.4 million visitors per year (2024 Ministry of Tourism data), on top of millions of Moroccans living abroad who return for the summer holidays. This demographic pressure justifies a mandatory 24/7 on-call coverage system.

The on-call system is supervised by the Southern Regional Council of the Order of Pharmacists (CRPOS) and the Northern Regional Council (CRPON), under the umbrella of the national CNOP, and organises a compulsory territorial rotation guaranteeing that a pharmacy remains open in every major urban district at any hour of day or night.

03The three on-call regimes#

Three legal regimes govern Moroccan pharmacy on-call coverage:

• Day garde (garde de jour): Sundays and public/religious holidays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. This regime involves a larger number of pharmacies per city, typically 5 to 15 in major cities.
• Night garde (garde de nuit): 10 p.m. to 8:30 a.m., with a single on-call pharmacy per major district in large cities, or even a single pharmacy for the entire town in smaller localities.
• 24-hour continuous garde: rare exception, practised mainly in the largest urban centres (Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech) in strategic pharmacies near university hospitals or major hotels.

The monthly calendar is published in advance by the Regional Councils. The law requires every closed pharmacy to display on its window a list of the three nearest on-call pharmacies with address, telephone number and walking or driving distance.

Pricing: there is no automatic legal surcharge on medicines at night or on Sunday. The price is the uniform DMP price set by the Ministry of Health. However, some pharmacists apply a private night-service fee ranging from 5 to 30 dirhams (observed practice, not codified in law), which must be announced before the sale and itemised on the receipt. This fee is not reimbursable by the mandatory health insurance AMO.

04Finding an on-call pharmacy via Sahha#

The on-call pharmacy page on Sahha covers more than 45 cities with a daily refresh of the listing. It provides geolocation, address, phone number, and a Google Maps route. The service is completely free, with no registration, subscription or fees.

Additional channels for locating an on-call pharmacy: reception desks of major hotels (typically catalogued by concierge staff), police stations (19), Royal Gendarmerie (177) in rural areas.

Foreign prescriptions: legally recognised provided they include the doctor's signature, professional stamp, contact details, dose and duration. Psychotropic substances and narcotics mandatorily require a secure Moroccan prescription from a doctor registered with the National Order of Physicians. For this class of medicines, local consultation becomes necessary, either in-person or through teleconsultation.

05Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech at night#

Casablanca: 3.36 million inhabitants at the prefecture level, 4.27 million for Greater Casablanca (2024 RGPH general census, High Commission for Planning). The city is split into 16 districts grouped into 8 prefectures. On-call coverage is organised by sector: Maârif, Anfa, Aïn Chock, Hay Hassani, Sidi Bernoussi, Sidi Moumen, Aïn Sebaâ, Sidi Belyout. Note that Bourgogne is an administrative part of the Anfa district, not a separate municipality.

Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region: 4.8 million regional inhabitants (2024 RGPH); the Rabat-Salé-Témara urban conurbation contains around 2 million. Main sectors include Agdal, Hassan, Hay Riad, Médina, Yacoub El Mansour (Rabat); Salé Al Jadida, Tabriquet, Bettana (Salé). Hay Riad hosts many embassies and diplomatic missions, which means English-speaking staff are more widely available there than in other parts of the city.

Marrakech: hosts 3.5 to 4 million annual visitors (Regional Tourism Observatory 2024-2025). On-call pharmacies concentrate around historic Jemaa el-Fna square, the modern French district of Guéliz, and the upmarket hotel quarter of l'Hivernage.

06After-hours alternatives#

Hospital emergency departments (SAMU 150): every major teaching hospital holds an emergency drug stock for life-saving medicines. CHU Ibn Rochd in Casablanca, Ibn Sina in Rabat, Mohammed VI in Marrakech, Fès, Agadir and Oujda. Foreign visitors not enrolled in AMO or RAMED pay cash at the reference DMP tariff on discharge.

Private clinics: maintain a full-time internal pharmacy. The Akdital group (publicly traded), Polyclinique du Sud in Marrakech, the Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital (Mohammed VI Foundation), the Clinique Internationale Agadir, and the Clinique Française Casablanca. Several bill in euros and accept European health insurance cards (AXA, Europ Assistance, Mondial Assistance).

07OTC translations and counter conversation#

Moroccan pharmacists invariably speak French and Moroccan Darija, with growing English competence in major tourist cities. Communicating in French remains the most reliable option in all situations.

Paracetamol

Doliprane, Efferalgan. Adult: 3 g/day maximum for routine use, 4 g/day occasionally under medical advice, with 500 mg-1 g doses spaced 4 hours apart. Child: 60 mg/kg/day in 4 divided doses. Hepatic impairment, chronic alcoholism, malnutrition, body weight below 50 kg: 2 g/day maximum. Paracetamol overdose is the leading cause of drug-induced liver transplantation in Western countries.

Ibuprofen

Advil, Nurofen, Brufen. Adult: 1,200 mg/day maximum for self-medication (3 days maximum). Absolute contraindications: third trimester of pregnancy (banned from 24 weeks per French ANSM), peptic ulcer, severe renal or hepatic impairment, NSAID hypersensitivity, chickenpox in children (risk of necrotising fasciitis), severe heart failure.

Aspirin

Aspégic, Aspirine UPSA. Reye's syndrome: avoid aspirin in children and adolescents under 16 years in a viral context (influenza, chickenpox, gastroenteritis). Contraindicated in peptic ulcer and third trimester of pregnancy.

Antidiarrhoeals

Loperamide (Imodium). Formal contraindications: diarrhoea with fever and blood or mucus (dysentery syndrome), children under 2 years (toxic megacolon risk). Diosmectite (Smecta) plus oral rehydration salts as first-line treatment. Phloroglucinol (Spasfon) for cramping pain.

Oral rehydration salts

WHO ORS equivalents. Infants under 6 months or dehydration above 5 % body weight: immediate medical consultation is mandatory and not deferrable.

Antihistamines

Cetirizine, loratadine (second generation, non-drowsy). Pregnancy and breastfeeding: per the CRAT reference centre on teratogenic agents, loratadine and cetirizine remain usable subject to confirmation by the treating clinician.

Emergency contraception

Levonorgestrel (Norlevo), available without prescription, effective within a 72-hour window (95 % at 24 h, 58 % at 48-72 h). Ulipristal (EllaOne) extends the window to 120 hours. For women weighing over 80 kg or BMI above 26, levonorgestrel efficacy is reduced.

Useful Arabic words

صيدلية (saydaliya — pharmacy), دواء (dawa — medicine), وصفة (wasfa — prescription), حمى (humma) / سخانة (skhana in Darija — fever), ألم (alam — pain), سعال (su'âl) / كحبة (kohba in Darija — cough).

08What can be bought without a prescription#

Free list (hors liste): level-1 painkillers, digestive antispasmodics, simple cough suppressants, second-generation antihistamines, vitamins, parapharmacy items, antiseptics, oral rehydration salts, emergency contraception (Norlevo).

List II: common antihypertensives, short-course oral corticosteroids. Antibiotics (amoxicillin, azithromycin) = List I, requiring a valid prescription (Law 17-04, CNOP and WHO antibiotic resistance strategy). Informal "dispensing" to a visitor without prescription is discouraged.

List I and psychotropics/narcotics: strong opioids (morphine, oxycodone), tramadol (List I, assimilated to narcotics in Morocco), benzodiazepines (Schedule B psychotropics under the 1991 ministerial order, never classified as narcotics). All require a secure Moroccan prescription. Sahha Live teleconsultation offers an e-prescription pathway.

AMO reimbursement: foreign visitors pay cash at the counter. CFE (Caisse des Français de l'Étranger) reimburses afterwards. High-end travel insurance covers up to a ceiling.

09City-by-city on-call coverage: Fès, Agadir, Tangier, Oujda, Meknès, Tétouan#

Fès (1.2 million inhabitants per the 2024 RGPH, spiritual capital, significant MRE inflow in July-August): on-call coverage is organised across the main zones — Ville Nouvelle (Saiss, Atlas, Narjis), médina (Fès el-Bali, Fès el-Jdid), Aïn Chkef. The pharmacies most in demand at night cluster around Avenue Hassan II and the Atlas neighbourhood, close to the CHU Hassan II teaching hospital. The monthly calendar is issued by the Northern Regional Council of the Order of Pharmacists.

Agadir (510,000 inhabitants in the city itself, one million for Greater Agadir, a major tourist port): the city sees a heavy concentration of European visitors, especially retirees and Moroccans returning from abroad. On-call rotation is organised in Talborjt, Founty (the hotel zone), Cité Dakhla, Tikiouine and Bensergao. The presence of Al Massira airport and the marina drives sustained night-time demand for antibiotics, painkillers and antidiarrhoeals from tourists.

Tangier (1.1 million inhabitants in the city, 1.5 million for the prefecture, economic capital of the North, the main gateway for MRE and the Schengen area): on-call coverage runs through the Iberia, Malabata, Charf, Ziaten and Mghogha sectors, plus the Tangier Ville cruise port area. The Tangier Med free zone and the seasonal traffic of 2.5 million MRE during the Marhaba operation (June to September) create exceptional demand peaks.

Oujda (560,000 inhabitants, capital of the Oriental, with the Algerian border closed): night-time on-call coverage spans Lazaret, Hay Al Massira, Hay Al Wahda, and the surroundings of CHU Mohammed VI Oujda. Low tourist density but strong local demand.

Meknès (640,000 inhabitants, an imperial UNESCO city): on-call runs across Ville Nouvelle, Hamria, Toulal, Ouislane and the médina. Night-time coverage is well organised due to the proximity of the military academy and the air base.

Tétouan (430,000 inhabitants, Mediterranean city, gateway to Sebta): on-call by Wilaya, Mhanech and Touabel sectors. Strong summer seasonality tied to Cabo Negro, Martil and M'diq.

10MRE travel kit: what to pack in the suitcase#

Moroccans returning home for 3-8 weeks in summer with elderly parents or young children would do well to assemble a basic pharmacy kit before departure to avoid nocturnal emergency runs. The French, Belgian or Dutch paediatrician can prescribe in advance enough chronic medication for the whole stay (insulin plus test strips plus lancets plus glucagon kit, antihypertensives, antiepileptics, biologics for inflammatory rheumatism, oral contraception, menopausal hormone replacement).

The recommended kit contains: adult and paediatric paracetamol (syrup dosed in mg/kg or suspension), paediatric ibuprofen, oral rehydration salts WHO ORS (essential for acute gastroenteritis in children and the elderly), thermometer, skin antiseptic (Bétadine or chlorhexidine), hydrocolloid dressings, second-generation antihistamine (cetirizine or loratadine for seasonal rhinitis and insect bites), SPF 50+ sunscreen, single-dose antiseptic eye drops (beach conjunctivitis is very frequent), DEET 30 % mosquito repellent (Drâa Valley, oases, coastal marshlands), and antimalarial treatment for travellers stopping over en route to sub-Saharan Africa.

Vaccinations: verify before departure DTP, measles-mumps-rubella, hepatitis A (high endemicity in Morocco), hepatitis B, typhoid fever (recommended for long-stay travellers to rural areas), rabies (for hiking activities in rural zones). A travel medicine consultation in Morocco or abroad is free or low-cost and prevents 90 % of touristic urgent consultations.

11Teleconsultation and nocturnal medical emergencies#

When on-call pharmacies are out of reach or the prescription is no longer valid (a frequent situation with antibiotics started abroad), teleconsultation has become in 2026 a modern and legal solution in Morocco. Decree 2-19-1023 (2020, amended 2023) governs the practice: a doctor registered with the Order of Physicians, an electronic prescription with a QR-code, direct transmission to the on-call pharmacy. Several platforms operate in Morocco including Sahha Live, with extended availability until 11 p.m. on weekdays and weekends.

Situations where nocturnal teleconsultation is appropriate: prescription renewal for chronic treatment (hypertension, diabetes, asthma, oral contraception), rhinitis-pharyngitis-cough without warning signs, acute gastroenteritis in adults without dehydration, simple cystitis in young women without fever, suspected mycosis or vaginosis, benign contact dermatitis, insect bites or stings without major inflammatory signs. Situations where teleconsultation is inappropriate and which require transport to hospital emergency: chest pain, dyspnoea, altered consciousness, serious trauma, extensive burns, infant dehydration, persistent high fever above 39 °C in a child under 3 months, suspected meningitis (neck stiffness, photophobia, headache), active bleeding, obstetric emergency.

SAMU 150 remains the number to call for any life-threatening emergency. CHU teaching hospitals and regional hospitals all run a 24/7 emergency service with internal pharmacy on-call coverage. Billing for foreign non-AMO/RAMED visitors follows the reference DMP tariff — around 100 to 300 MAD for an emergency consultation with prescription.

12Tourist FAQ#

Usual European medicines: available, sometimes under a local brand (Cooper Pharma, Sothema, Laprophan, Pharma 5, Galenica). Prices 30 to 50 % lower. A few exceptions: recent biologics (PCSK9 inhibitors, anti-CGRP migraine therapies, JAK inhibitors), the latest-generation ultra-rapid analogue insulins, and some niche antiepileptics may be unavailable or require a 5-10 day ordering lead time.

Continuity of chronic treatment: insulin and antidiabetic agents with a recent foreign prescription. Biologics: minimum ten-day buffer stock plus verification of availability with the relevant laboratory before departure. Verify transport and storage conditions (2-8 °C cold chain for insulin, anti-TNF, GLP-1 agents) — use an insulated bag with ice packs and an on-board thermometer for flights longer than 4 hours.

Travel insurance: most premium bank cards and home/travel insurance contracts cover Morocco, but with variable ceilings. MRE often benefit from dual coverage CFE (Caisse des Français de l'Étranger) plus Moroccan AMO as soon as they are affiliated with CNSS, allowing cross-reimbursement. Always retain original prescriptions and invoices for reimbursement claims.

Before any unfamiliar purchase or symptom exceeding 48 hours, medical consultation is essential. General practitioners in Morocco via Sahha. In pregnant women and children under 6, no self-medication.