Pharmacies, common medicines and what to bring
Pharmacies are everywhere and many are open late. Learn what you can buy over the counter and what to pack from home.
Finding one
Look for a green cross and the characters 药店 or 大药房. Chains are common in cities, and delivery apps like Meituan can bring medicine to your hotel in under an hour.
What to bring from home
Bring enough of any prescription medicine for the whole trip, in original packaging with a copy of the prescription. Brand names differ and some medicines common abroad are restricted.
- Show the pharmacist the generic (active ingredient) name, not the brand.
- Many pharmacies sell both Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine; ask for 西药 (Western medicine) if you prefer.
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