Buying Medicine in China: A Foreigner's Guide to Chinese Pharmacies

You've got a headache in Hangzhou. Or maybe a stomach bug in Shenzhen. Perhaps an allergic reaction in Xi'an. Whatever it is, you need medicine, and you need to figure out how Chinese pharmacies work—fast.

Good news: Chinese pharmacies are everywhere, typically well-stocked, and you don't need a prescription for most common medications. The challenge is navigating them when you can't read the labels or explain your symptoms.

This guide will help you find what you need without a medical degree or fluent Mandarin.

Finding a Pharmacy

Chinese pharmacies are ubiquitous in urban areas. Look for:

• 药店 (Yàodiàn) — The characters for "medicine store"
• 大药房 (Dà Yàofáng) — Large pharmacy (usually chain stores)
• Green cross symbol — Universal pharmacy marker

Major chains include:

• 老百姓大药房 (Laobaixing) — One of the largest chains
• 大参林 (Dashenlin) — Common in southern China
• 海王星辰 (Neptunus) — Nationwide chain
• 一心堂 (Yixintang) — Prominent in western regions

These chains are your safest bet. They're regulated, well-stocked, and staff sometimes speak basic English.

Smaller independent pharmacies exist too and are fine for simple items, though selection varies.

Hospital Pharmacies

For specific medications, hospital pharmacies (医院药房) offer wider selection but require navigating the hospital system—more complicated than it's worth for basic needs.

What You Can Buy Without a Prescription

China's medication regulations differ from Western countries. Many drugs that require prescriptions elsewhere are available over-the-counter in China:

Available OTC in China:

• Pain relievers (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin)
• Cold and flu medications
• Allergy medications (antihistamines)
• Digestive aids and antacids
• Basic antibiotics (though regulations are tightening)
• Mild sleep aids
• Topical treatments (creams, ointments)
• Vitamins and supplements

Still require prescriptions:

• Strong painkillers
• Most psychiatric medications
• Controlled substances
• Some antibiotics (increasingly)

How to Get What You Need

Method 1: Show the Chinese Name

The most reliable approach. Find the Chinese name for your medication before visiting the pharmacy.

Here are common medications with their Chinese names:

Pain and Fever:

English	Chinese	Pinyin
Ibuprofen	布洛芬	Bùluòfēn
Acetaminophen/Paracetamol	对乙酰氨基酚	Duìyǐxiān'ānjīfēn
Aspirin	阿司匹林	Āsīpǐlín

Cold and Flu:

English	Chinese	Pinyin
Cold medicine	感冒药	Gǎnmào yào
Cough syrup	止咳糖浆	Zhǐké tángjiāng
Throat lozenges	润喉片	Rùnhóu piàn
Decongestant	通鼻剂	Tōngbí jì

Digestive:

English	Chinese	Pinyin
Antacid	抗酸药	Kàngsuān yào
Anti-diarrhea	止泻药	Zhǐxiè yào
Laxative	泻药	Xiè yào
Motion sickness	晕车药	Yūnchē yào

Allergy:

English	Chinese	Pinyin
Antihistamine	抗组胺药	Kàng zǔ'àn yào
Allergy medicine	过敏药	Guòmǐn yào

First Aid:

English	Chinese	Pinyin
Band-aids	创可贴	Chuàngkětiē
Antiseptic	消毒液	Xiāodú yè
Anti-itch cream	止痒膏	Zhǐyǎng gāo

Save this table to your phone or screenshot it before your trip.

Method 2: Show Your Symptoms

Point at the affected body part and use these symptom words:

Symptom	Chinese	Pinyin
Headache	头痛	Tóutòng
Stomachache	肚子痛	Dùzi tòng
Fever	发烧	Fāshāo
Cough	咳嗽	Késou
Runny nose	流鼻涕	Liú bítì
Sore throat	嗓子痛	Sǎngzi tòng
Diarrhea	拉肚子	Lā dùzi
Nausea	恶心	Ěxīn
Itchy	痒	Yǎng
Pain	痛	Tòng

Pointing + saying the symptom word usually gets the pharmacist to understand what you need.

Method 3: Show a Photo

Take a photo of:

• Your medication from home (shows the active ingredient)
• A photo of the medicine type you need
• A screenshot from a translation app

Pharmacists can often identify what you need from visuals.

Method 4: Use Translation Apps

Speak into your phone, show the translation. Modern translation apps handle medical vocabulary reasonably well.

Understanding Chinese Medicine Packaging

Once you have something in hand, understanding the packaging helps:

Key terms to recognize:

• 用法 (Yòngfǎ) — Usage/directions
• 用量 (Yòngliàng) — Dosage
• 一日 (Yīrì) — Per day
• 一次 (Yīcì) — Per dose
• 片 (Piàn) — Tablets
• 粒 (Lì) — Capsules
• 毫升 (Háoshēng) — Milliliters
• 饭前 (Fàn qián) — Before meals
• 饭后 (Fàn hòu) — After meals
• 睡前 (Shuì qián) — Before sleep

If dosing instructions are unclear, use translation apps to photograph the text, or ask the pharmacist to write numbers (most understand numerical dosing even without shared language).

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Many pharmacies have a section—or entire stores—dedicated to Traditional Chinese Medicine. You'll recognize it by:

• Drawers of dried herbs and ingredients
• Strong, distinctive smells
• Roots, bark, and unidentifiable dried things

TCM operates on different principles than Western medicine. Pharmacists diagnose based on traditional concepts (heat/cold, yin/yang balance) and prepare custom herbal formulas.

Should you try TCM?

For minor ailments like fatigue, digestive discomfort, or skin irritations, TCM remedies can be interesting to try. For serious conditions, stick with Western medicine or see a doctor.

What to know:

• TCM remedies take longer to show effects
• Dosing involves drinking herbal teas (often bitter)
• Quality varies between pharmacies
• Some remedies interact with Western medications—disclose what you're taking

Prices and Payment

Chinese pharmacy prices are remarkably reasonable by Western standards:

• Basic cold medicine: ¥10-30 (~$1.50-4)
• Pain relievers: ¥10-40 (~$1.50-5)
• Antihistamines: ¥15-50 (~$2-7)
• Digestive medicines: ¥15-40 (~$2-5)

Prices are often displayed on shelves. There's minimal markup at legitimate pharmacies.

Payment methods:

• Cash accepted everywhere
• Alipay/WeChat Pay accepted at chain pharmacies
• Credit cards occasionally accepted at larger chains

Safety Considerations

Check Expiration Dates

Look for "有效期至" (valid until) or "失效日期" (expiration date) followed by a date in YYYY-MM format.

Beware of Counterfeit Medications

Stick to chain pharmacies in urban areas. Small, sketchy-looking shops in tourist areas occasionally sell counterfeit or expired products.

Don't Exceed Recommended Doses

Just because medications are available OTC doesn't mean they're safe in unlimited quantities. Follow dosing instructions.

Antibiotics Caution

The ease of obtaining antibiotics in China contributes to antibiotic resistance problems. Don't self-prescribe antibiotics for viral infections (colds, flu). They won't help and cause harm.

Bring Your Prescriptions From Home

If you take regular medications:

• Bring enough for your entire trip plus extras
• Carry them in original packaging
• Bring a doctor's note explaining what they are
• Bring the prescription or generic name for refills

Some medications legal in your country may be controlled or illegal in China. Research before traveling with anything unusual.

When to See a Doctor Instead

Pharmacies are for minor ailments. Seek medical attention for:

• High fever persisting more than 2 days
• Severe pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Signs of serious infection
• Injuries requiring stitches
• Any condition that isn't improving

International clinics in major cities have English-speaking staff and are worth the higher cost for peace of mind. See our guide on navigating Chinese hospitals.

Putting It Together: A Pharmacy Visit

Here's how a typical pharmacy visit goes:

1. Enter the pharmacy and orient yourself. Medications are usually behind counters or in glass cabinets.

2. Approach a staff member and say "你好" (nǐ hǎo).

3. Communicate your need:

   • Show the Chinese name on your phone, OR
   • Point to the body part and say the symptom word, OR
   • Show a picture of what you need

4. The pharmacist retrieves options and may ask questions (use translation app).

5. Confirm the medication looks right. Check the active ingredient if possible.

6. Understand dosing. Point at the directions and hold up fingers to confirm ("一次两片" = one time, two tablets).

7. Pay and go.

The whole process typically takes 5-10 minutes.

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Worried about health while traveling? The China Survival Kit includes emergency hospital lists, medical phrase cards, and health safety tips.