Pharmacies in France do all the things that you would expect, such as dealing with prescriptions and dispensing medicines. They also, as in many other countries, sell make-up, skincare products, sunscreen and baby items.
But there are some extra items and services in French pharmacies that often come as a surprise to foreigners.
Over the counter medicines
In France, only pharmacies are allowed to sell common over-the-counter remedies such as paracetamol, aspirin and cold and flu remedies. You cannot get these in supermarkets, petrol stations or grocery stores.
These medications often appear under different brand names in France - if you want a basic over-the-counter painkiller, ask for it by the brand name of Doliprane (which is paracetamol).
Consultations
Although over-the-counter remedies can be obtained without a prescription in France, they're stocked behind the counter so you will need to ask the pharmacist for what you want.
Depending on the medication it's common for them to ask you a few questions to make sure you're getting the best product - so if you have a cough and want a cough syrup, expect to be answering questions on the type of cough you have, how long you have had it and any other symptoms.
All pharmacies are required by law to have at least one fully qualified pharmacist on the premises at all times, and you can request to speak to them if you have a medical question.
Pharmacists are highly qualified so you can go to the pharmacy for a consultation on any aspect of your health - if the pharmacist thinks that it is beyond their area of expertise they will advise you to visit a doctor and can usually also point you in the right direction to find the best local health services.
READ ALSO 11 things you can do at a French pharmacy
First aid and medical services
The other thing that pharmacies offer is first aid services or treatment for injuries that aren't bad enough to need hospital treatment.
Likewise if you have visited a hospital and end up with a dressing that needs changing regularly or a similar ongoing need, you might be advised to go to a pharmacy and get it seen to.
The great advantage to using a pharmacy for this sort of service is that there is one on nearly every street in France (well not quite every, but there are a lot) and you don't need an appointment.
You can, however, make appointments for some of the other things that pharmacies offer - including giving vaccines for Covid or flu, testing for tonsillitis/strep throat or urinary tract infections. Since 2023, pharmacists have been able to dispense antibiotics without a prescription following a positive tonsillitis or urinary tract infection test.
Heavy legs products
If you're in a pharmacy in the summer you're also likely to see a shelf of products for les jambes lourds (heavy legs). This appears to be an ailment suffered only by Frenchwomen and pharmacies are very keen on providing - and advertising - products to deal with it.
These are mostly heavy-duty stockings to improve the blood flow in the legs, but there are also numerous herbal remedies that make slightly dubious claims about heavy legs.
Teas
Which brings us to tea - you can buy a lot of different types of tea in a French pharmacy, mostly herbal teas or tisanes. Some of these make vaguely health-related claims promising to aid digestion, sleep or circulation, others just have nice flavours.
In fact, you'll find a huge variety of herbal remedies, vitamins and food supplements available in most French pharmacies. The French are also devotees of homeopathy, which until recently was reimbursed by the health system. That's no longer the case, but homeopathic remedies abound in pharmacies.
They'll check your mushrooms
No, this isn't a medical procedure, but if you have been foraging for mushrooms, French pharmacies will check your haul to ensure that you haven't accidentally picked any dangerous ones.
Skincare might be surprisingly cheap
Like most countries, French pharmacies often have a big range of make-up, skincare and beauty products, including the big French brand names.
If you're coming from the US, you're likely to find these considerably cheaper - this isn't really a surprise if it's a French brand but the price difference is enough to make French pharmacies something of a TikTok trend.
Crowds
Perhaps for all the reasons outlined above, French pharmacies tend to be busy places, and you'll likely have to wait if you want a consultation.
The people in front of you in the queue probably won't be in too much of a hurry and if you eavesdrop on their conversation (which you're doing purely to improve your colloquial French, by the way) you might notice that there doesn't seem to be that much wrong with them. It's almost as if they're just there for a day out.
After a few years in France you'll stop finding this weird and start to wonder whether Saturday would be a good day for a nice trip to the pharmacy to stock up some tea and heavy legs stockings.
Useful vocab
La pharmacie - the pharmacy
Le pharmacien - the pharmacist
La parapharmacie - the 'para' pharmacy is one that cannot dispense medicines, and only sells health and wellbeing products. They also do not offer consultations or medical services
La pharmacie de garde - the on-duty pharmacy. Most pharmacies close on Sundays and public holidays, but there is a rota to ensure that one stays open in each area. You can google pharmacie de garde + the name of your commune to find the nearest open pharmacy on a Sunday or holiday.
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