Pharmacies

Pharmacies

For minor aliments, many people go to their local pharmacy (farmacia), these are easily recognisable by the green flashing cross displayed outside or in the window. Farmacias take turns to provide an out-of-hours service (at night and for holidays) as the farmacia de guardia. You will be able to find out which one is open by looking in a local paper or in the window of any pharmacy where they usually display a list.

Pharmacists in Spain are more highly-trained than in some countries and will provide treatment advice for many common illnesses and ailments, but they are not a substitute for going to a doctor if there is something really wrong with you. Spain is a quite unrestrictive when it comes to the distribution of medications that are strictly prescription drugs in other countries (such as antibiotics), so these are commonly available over-the-counter. Medicines tend to cost significantly less than in other countries due to state imposed price restrictions.

Return to Healthcare Overview