Healthcare in Albania

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According to the Constitution of Albania, citizens are entitled to healthcare. The healthcare system in Albania is primarily public. The public system is made up of three tiers: primary care, secondary care, and tertiary care. Primary healthcare covers basic health needs. Secondary healthcare is needed when seeing a specialist after being referred to by a general practitioner. Tertiary healthcare funds are dedicated for highly specialized medical care that is needed over a long duration of time. There are over 400 public clinics that offer both primary and secondary healthcare services, along with over 40 public hospitals that offer tertiary healthcare services.^[1]

In 2018, per capita healthcare spending in Albania was US$275, an approximate 20% increase from 2017.^[2] Public healthcare is financed by employers and employees who fill a government fund with money. The Albanian Health Insurance Institute, which was established in 1994, currently covers the cost of health care. It is primarily funded by a 3.4% charge on gross salaries.

Over the last decade, the private healthcare sector has significantly grown with over 10 private hospitals and many private clinics.^[1] Generally, dental and pharmaceutical care services are private. Albania has over 1,000 pharmacies, with nearly all the drugs sold in them being imports from other countries.^[3]