How to buy medicine at a pharmacy
1. With a prescription: hand the prescription from the hospital to the pharmacy and the pharmacist will prepare your medicine. If health insurance applies, you pay less.
2. Without a prescription: describe your symptoms and the pharmacist will recommend a suitable over-the-counter medicine. Prepare key symptoms in a translation app beforehand, such as "headache", "cough", "diarrhoea", or "period pain".
3. Check how to take it: always ask how many times a day and whether to take it before or after meals. You can read the instructions on the medicine envelope with K-lifeon’s camera translation.
Medicines you can buy at convenience stores
When pharmacies are closed at night or on holidays, you can buy "safe household medicines" at convenience stores (some fever and pain relievers, cold medicine, digestive aids, pain-relief patches, and so on). However, the types and quantities are limited.
Medicines worth keeping at home
Fever and pain relievers · multi-symptom cold medicine · digestive aids and anti-diarrhoea medicine · antiseptic and plasters · pain-relief patches · your regular medicines (plenty of them if you have a chronic condition)
Rules to follow
Always tell the pharmacist about any allergies and medicines you are taking.
If you take medicine from home together with Korean medicine, check with the pharmacist that the ingredients do not overlap.
If symptoms do not improve after a few days, or you have a high fever or severe pain, do not rely on medicine alone — go to a hospital.
Finding a pharmacy at night or on holidays
You can find open pharmacies on the emergency medical portal (e-gen.or.kr) or in a map app. In an emergency call 119, and call 1345 if you need medical interpretation.
This article is general information and does not replace a medical diagnosis. Always follow your pharmacist’s or doctor’s instructions when taking medicine.