The minister believes that this move will improve access to medicines for patients in smaller towns as the requirement, in place since January 2016, posed a significant financial burden.
The Health Ministry had set the minimum floor area requirement at 60 sq. meters for a pharmacy and 30 sq. meters for a charitable pharmacy.
The Competition Council in late August 2016 launched a probe regarding this requirement.
Šarūnas Keserauskas, chairman of the competition authority, has said that the minimum area requirement has forced some pharmacies out of the market.
Nearly 1,400 pharmacies currently operate in Lithuania. The country has 45 pharmacies per 100,000 inhabitants, which is above the EU average of 31 pharmacies.
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