How Do I Buy Common Medications at the Pharmacy? Do I Need a Prescription for Antibiotics?

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs such as cold medicine, cough suppressants, and fever reducers can be bought directly at pharmacies without a prescription.

 If there are language barriers, you can prepare the names of the medications or symptoms you need treated in advance—write them down or type them into your phone and use a translation tool to communicate.

 Pharmacies accept various payment methods, including cash, bank cards, WeChat Pay, and Alipay. You can choose the most convenient option to complete your purchase.

Purchasing Antibiotics

According to Chinese regulations, antibiotics are prescription-only medications and require a doctor’s prescription for purchase.