Hospital

There are no private hospitals in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. All hospitals are run by Caisse de Maladie. In addition, there are two pediatric and obstetric clinics. care in Luxembourg is excellent, but some specialized care may be completed in the neighbouring countries of Belgium or France.

All non-emergency hospital admissions require a referral from a general practitioner. There are three classes of wards: first, second and third. First class wards offer single private room and are the most expensive. Third ward rooms may have as many as three patients per room.

A white "H" on a blue background signals a hospital entrance. There are several major hospitals and many clinics.

Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg
Address:
Rue Barble 4
Luxembourg-Ville 1210
Telephone: 352 4411 11
The main hospital in Luxembourg, this hospital was opened in the year 1976 and has seven floors.

Hospital Kirchberg
Address:
9, Rue Edward Steichen
L-2540 Luxembourg
Telephone: 352 2468-1

Pharmacy

The French word, pharmacie, and an illuminated green cross are usually used in signage. Most are open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 18:00. One chemist in a town or region is usually on call during off hours and shops that are closed will display the name and address of the nearest duty chemist. Local newspapers also publish a list of chemists on call. There may be a surcharge for medicine obtained outside of office hours. The website, http://www.pharmacie.lu/, has addresses of pharmacies throughout the country and the schedule for the on-call pharmacy during off hours.

Over-the-counter medications are strictly regulated. In most cases, you will be asked for a prescription when at the pharmacy. Even for some common products, like contact lens solution, vitamins or common cold remedies you may need to describe your symptoms and will have to pay full price. However, if you have a prescription from a doctor your health care insurer will usually reimburse at least a part of the cost. The amount reimbursement for medication depends on the type of medication and is between 0 and 100 percent. These common items are slowly appearing in grocery stores, but are still usually only found in pharmacies.

Most pharmacists speak several languages including English and should be able to explain what a medicine is, how to take it, and any side effects to expect. It is common for the pharmacist to write instructions directly on the packaging. Do not discard until you have read the instructions!