So if you have a minor ailment, don’t worry about making an appointment with your doctor, just pop down to your local farmacia first. You will need to show a prescription if you require these. Antibiotics such as amoxicillin are not available to buy over the counter. This is not only because the pharmacists are able to offer professional medical advice (minor ailments), but also because many medicines are available to buy over the counter without a prescription. The Spanish pharmacy is not only a place to pick up your prescriptions ( Recetas) though, in many towns they act as a social hub where the locals come to gossip, socialise and share their health woes with the pharmacists, other members of staff and the local community.Īnother important thing to note about the Spanish farmacias is that many people use them instead of going to the local doctor or GP. Further info can be found at the link below from the CAB ( Citizens Advice Bureau In Spain) Smaller quantities of painkillers such as Paracetamol and Ibuprofen can still be purchased over the counter if approved by the pharmacist.ĭue to EU regulation, a new medicine verification system was introduced in 2019 which is used to identify, verify and register the distribution of Spanish pharmacy products in Spain. New legislation introduced in 2015 meant that certain medications in higher doses such as Ibuprofen 600mg, Omeprazole, certain cough mixtures and antihistamines had to be prescribed by a medical professional. Although this may seem like a bit of a bind at first, you soon get used to it and will find that the local pharmacists ( Farmacéuticos) are generally very friendly and helpful. Even everyday medications such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and codeine have to be purchased via a Farmacia. Unlike in some other countries, you cannot purchase medicines in supermarkets and corner shops. In Spain, nearly all medicines have to be purchased at a Farmacia. Most pharmacies are part of a chain although there are some smaller independent pharmacies in most of the Spanish regions. In larger towns and cities they can be found on virtually every street corner and are easily recognised with their large green neon crosses. Even in the smallest of Spanish towns, you can find more than one. The chemists in Spain are referred to as “ Farmacias” plural or “ Farmacia” singular. Essential Spanish phrases to use at the farmacia.Common painkillers such as Paracetamol and Ibuprofen.How to easily find your nearest farmacia online.In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about visiting a pharmacy in Spain. If you decide to up sticks and move to Spain permanently or even come here for your holidays, at one point or another you will need to pay a visit to your local Spanish pharmacy or chemist.Īs the Spanish farmacia is such an integral part of life in Spain, it’s important to become familiar with how they operate and the services that they provide. "Whereas there is no data in this area, I would not be surprised if these other drugs can produce similar complications.Pharmacies In Spain - La Farmacia Expat Tips Published: 04 June 2019 16:44 CET Updated: 09 September 2022 16:44 CET "What may be disappointing is that the labeling does not cover a large number of compounds that are commonly used off-label as hypnotic in clinical practice," Mignot says, noting that prescriptions for over-the-counter sedative drugs, sedative antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs may represent almost as many prescriptions as leading sleeping pills developed for insomnia. "Patients who suffer with insomnia are likely to be willing to risk the adverse side effects noted, particularly since they are quite uncommon."Īnd the relatively rare nature of the side effects has some questioning why other drugs with similar side effects are not also subject to stricter labeling. "The product labeling changes appear reasonable, but I doubt that it will have much of an impact on the use of these medicines," Sterling says. Melvyn Sterling, an internist practicing in Orange County, Calif., agrees that the labeling change may not make a huge impact in overall use. "As a result of the volume of cautions and warnings on medications, as well as the difficulty they have with interpretation of actual risks, I have a hunch that most people do not bother to read the pharmacy handouts."ĭr. Greg Anderson, assistant professor of family medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "It's good to have the information available for patients, though I think they are so inundated with drug-related information that they are not in a position to interpret," says Dr. But some say that a labeling change will likely have little effect on the use of these drugs, which accounted for more than 45 million prescriptions in the United States in 2005.
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