The following three types of pharmacies may be opened in Latvia:

General or open type pharmacies

These pharmacies are permitted to pack medicinal products. This type of activity is allowed only in branches of pharmacies that have pharmacists.
Also, packaging of medicinal products upon receipt of a prescription from a physician or veterinary practitioner and a written request from a medical treatment institution or veterinary medical care institution is permitted. This type of activity is allowed only in branches of pharmacies that have pharmacists.
They may issue medicinal products upon receipt of a prescription from a physician or veterinary practitioner or a written authorisation by a veterinary practitioner.
They may distribute medication to medical treatment institutions, social care institutions and natural persons.

Closed type pharmacies or pharmacies of medical treatment institutions

Packaging of medicinal products is permitted.
They may also prepare medicinal products according to the requests of medical treatment institutions.
It is permitted to distribute medication to medical treatment institutions.
These pharmacies are subject to a special provision prohibiting them to distribute medication to natural persons.
Veterinary pharmacies

They are permitted to distribute non-prescription and prescription veterinary medicinal products.
Distribution of the goods intended for animal care, as well as instruments and goods used in veterinary medicine is permitted.
These pharmacies may also issue prescription veterinary medicinal products upon receipt of a veterinary prescription or a written request from a veterinary practitioner.
They must comply with the provision that only a pharmacist is permitted to prepare medicinal products.
These pharmacies are permitted to pack veterinary medicinal products.
A pharmacy (not a veterinary pharmacy) can be established in the form of:

a pharmacist’s practice;
a joint practice;
a capital company (it is mandatory that no less than 50 % of the shares of a capital company must be owned by a pharmacist or at least a half of the members of the board or administrative body of this capital company must be certified pharmacists).
A pharmacy may be established by a pharmacist’s assistant according to the following conditions:

he or she must register as an individual merchant or establish a capital company;
he or she must comply with the provision that in the amalgamated municipality, city or parish of the amalgamated municipality, where the pharmacy is to be established, the number of inhabitants shall not exceed 4,000 and there are no other pharmacies or branches of pharmacies within the range of five kilometres. However, this regulation does not apply to persons signing an employment agreement with a certified pharmacist;
a pharmacy may operate as a capital company if the pharmacist’s assistant owns at least 50 % of the shares of this capital company;
a special permit – licence for a period of five years – shall be issued for operating of a pharmacy.
A pharmacy may open branches. General type pharmacies may open branches in an amalgamated municipality, city or parish of an amalgamated municipality, where the number of inhabitants does not exceed 4,000 and there are no other pharmacies or branches of pharmacies within the range of five kilometres.

The pharmacy establishing the branch must be indicated in the name of the branch.