Closed since mid-July following the administrative closure of the Isola 2000 shopping gallery, the only pharmacy in the resort will welcome the public again from Thursday, July 23. This partial reopening ends several days of uncertainty, while the shopping gallery remains inaccessible on its side.
Residents, seasonal workers and tourists will regain access to the Isola 2000 pharmacy from Thursday, July 23. The municipality of Isola and the prefecture of Alpes-Maritimes have announced a partial reopening of the pharmacy, which has been closed for several days due to the administrative closure of the shopping gallery where the business is located.
This decision results from work conducted between state services, the municipality and the Regional Health Agency Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur to ensure continuity of care while respecting safety rules applicable to this public-facing establishment.
The municipal order signed on July 22 authorizes the opening of the pharmacy under specific conditions. Medical prescriptions can be dispensed Monday to Friday from 9 am to 1 pm. On Saturdays and Sundays, service will be provided from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
Access will be exclusively through the door located on the Tavels side, at the level of the tobacco shop. A municipal agent will be present during opening hours to ensure the safety of users and staff.
A closure that reignited an old conflict
This reopening comes after a particularly eventful week for the resort. On July 16, Isola’s mayor, Mylène Agnelli, ordered the administrative closure of the shopping gallery. Merchants and residents had been informed of this decision the previous evening.
The municipality justifies this measure by the lack of sufficient guarantees concerning fire safety and the management of this private public-facing establishment. The municipal order specifically references the absence of a manager able to ensure regulatory obligations and recalls that only some of the owners of commercial premises had signed the agreements necessary for financing the safety system.
This issue is not new. During the summer of 2025, the shopping gallery had already been closed for similar reasons following a security inspection mandated by the prefecture of Alpes-Maritimes. This new decision has once again weakened the economic activity of the resort during the peak summer season.
Initially, the pharmacy had benefited from an exemption allowing only the dispensing of prescription medications. The Regional Health Agency ultimately requested a complete closure of the pharmacy as of July 17, depriving the municipality of its only pharmacy.
Political mobilization to unblock the situation
The pharmacy closure quickly prompted several reactions. The senator for Alpes-Maritimes Dominique Estrosi-Sassone contacted the new prefect of Alpes-Maritimes Jean-Marie Girier to organize consultation with all stakeholders involved. In a statement, the parliamentarian called for all solutions to be studied to ensure “the effective continuation of pharmacy activity,” whether through secure access, a temporary location, or any other measure to preserve continuity of care.
A few days later, senator Henri Leroy also raised the issue with the Health Minister. The parliamentarian felt that “safety requirements must naturally be fully respected,” but that such a situation could not “permanently compromise access to care in a mountain territory.”
In parallel, Éric Ciotti, in his capacity as president of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolitan Area, brought together Isola’s mayor, Mylène Agnelli, representatives of the gallery’s merchants and state services. This meeting resulted in a temporary agreement extending, until September 15, the agreements necessary for the gallery’s operation. This solution aims to prepare a broader reopening while allowing time to build a sustainable system.
For now, only the pharmacy is benefiting from a reopening. The Isola 2000 shopping gallery remains closed. The municipality and prefecture specify that this closure will be maintained as long as safety and accessibility requirements are not met and the expected agreements from owners of commercial premises have not been signed.
NicePremium is a free, independent local news outlet.
Help us keep going by supporting our work from €5 per month.
