Kiama pharmacy, doctors and hospital guide for visitors

Find a pharmacy in Kiama

If you forgot your tablets or picked up a cold on the drive down, help is close. Kiama has three pharmacies in town and a fourth at Kiama Downs, and all three town pharmacies list Sunday hours, which helps on a weekend away.

Opening hours below are what each pharmacy publishes on its own website or its healthdirect listing. Public holiday hours often differ, so check before you go.

Ask the pharmacist before you book a doctor

For minor problems on holiday, a pharmacist is often the quickest first stop. NSW Health says trained pharmacists can now offer extra services for some conditions, which may include treatment without a prescription:

• Uncomplicated bladder infections (UTIs).
• Continuing hormonal contraception, including some oral pills.
• Skin complaints such as eczema, shingles, impetigo (school sores) and psoriasis.

Not every pharmacist offers every service, so ring ahead. Blooms The Chemist Kiama lists pharmacist consultations for UTIs, hormonal contraception and travel health on its store page, along with vaccinations. If a pharmacist thinks you need a doctor, they will tell you.

A few habits save a lot of hassle. Pack enough of your regular medicines for the whole stay, plus a copy of your prescriptions. Bring your Medicare card if you have one. If you are travelling with little ones, pack children's pain relief and a thermometer so a 2am fever doesn't send you hunting for an open shop.

See a GP in Kiama

Kiama has several general practices within a few minutes' drive of the apartments. Most book out, so call early in the day or use the online booking on their websites. Billing differs between practices, so ask about fees when you book, particularly if you don't have a Medicare card.

None of the town's practices lists Sunday hours. On a Sunday, try the urgent care clinic at Barrack Heights or call healthdirect, both covered below.

Know that Kiama has no emergency department

This catches visitors out. Kiama's old hospital on Bonaira Street no longer runs as a hospital, and it does not appear on the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District's list of hospitals. In 2017 the health district opened the Kiama Integrated Primary and Community Health Centre on part of the old hospital site, and the rest of the land became an aged care development.

The centre is at 14B Bonaira Street, about 1 km from the apartments. It runs outpatient and community services such as physiotherapy, dental, nursing, child and family health and immunisation clinics. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm, and appointments are made through the district's Access and Referral Centre on 1300 792 755. It is not an emergency service, so don't head there with a serious injury or illness.

Go to Shellharbour Hospital in an emergency

For a life-threatening emergency, call 000 and ask for an ambulance. Don't drive someone who is seriously unwell yourself if an ambulance is the safer option.

The nearest emergency department is at Shellharbour Hospital, 15 to 17 Madigan Boulevarde, Mount Warrigal. It is about a 20-minute drive (21 km) north of Kiama Ridge Waters along the highway. The health district says the emergency department is open 24 hours, seven days a week, for anyone with a serious illness or injury who needs urgent medical attention, and no referral is needed. The hospital's phone number is 02 4295 2500.

Further north, Wollongong Hospital's emergency department is also open 24 hours. Patients are seen in order of how urgent their condition is, not when they arrived, so expect a wait for minor problems.

When you arrive, save Shellharbour Hospital and your apartment address, 2 Surfleet Place, Kiama, in your phone. It takes a minute and saves panic later.

Get help after hours and on weekends

If you are not sure it can wait, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222. It is a free, government-funded service that gives health advice 24 hours a day, and you can talk to a nurse who can help you decide whether to see a pharmacist, a GP, an urgent care clinic or an emergency department.

For problems that need a doctor today but are not life-threatening, such as a suspected minor fracture or a nasty infection, try the Shellharbour Medicare Urgent Care Clinic at Centre Health Medical Centre, Suite 15, 25 Captain Cook Drive, Barrack Heights. COORDINARE, the regional primary health network, says it is open 8am to 8pm, seven days, offers walk-in care, is fully bulk billed and welcomes visitors to the region. It is about a 19-minute drive (20.4 km) from the apartments.

Two pharmacies in Kiama open on Sunday afternoons, according to their published hours: Blooms The Chemist until 5pm and Kiama Health Destination Pharmacy until 4pm. Check before you go, especially on public holidays.

Stay safe at the beach

Most holiday first aid in Kiama happens at the beach. Council lifeguards logged 235 first aid incidents and 90 rescues across the 2025 to 2026 season, according to Kiama Council. A few habits keep your trip on track:

• Swim between the red and yellow flags. Surf clubs patrol Jones, Surf and Werri beaches on weekends and public holidays, and council lifeguards cover weekdays and other beaches during the season. Easts Beach, the closest to the apartments, is patrolled by council lifeguards over the Christmas school holidays and unpatrolled outside those dates.
• Know what to do in a rip. BeachSafe's advice is to stay calm and save your energy, float, raise an arm to signal for help, or swim parallel to the beach towards the breaking waves.
• Pack a small first aid kit. Sunscreen, a hat, plasters, antiseptic and any regular medicines cover most beach days. BeachSafe lists bluebottles as a possible hazard at Easts Beach, so ask a lifeguard or pharmacist how to treat a sting.
• Check conditions first. Look up the beach on BeachSafe for the day's patrol status, then pick a rock pool if the surf is big.

Our guest FAQ covers the practical questions about your stay.

Plan a healthy stay at Kiama Ridge Waters

From Kiama Ridge Waters, the pharmacy and doctor are a quick drive away: Kiama Pharmacy and Kiama Medical Practice on Manning Street are about 2 minutes by car. Each of our three-bedroom apartments at 2 Surfleet Place has a full kitchen, a laundry and parking for two cars. Easts Beach is a 15-minute walk (1.3 km), and Shellharbour Hospital is about 20 minutes north.

If you are travelling with children or older relatives, read about our family accommodation in Kiama, and see the Kiama parking guide for where to leave the car in town. Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is by 10am. Compare the apartments or check dates and book.