The Pharmacy & Medicines in France.

start with JARI.

• Community — medicine info and French names.
• Expert services — prescription translation, health advice.

the pharmacy's role.

• The green cross marks a pharmacy.
• The pharmacist genuinely advises: for minor issues (cold, digestion, wounds), no prescription needed.
• Prescribed medicines are reimbursed via the carte Vitale, often with tiers payant (no upfront payment).

the prescription (ordonnance).

• Prescription medicines require a prescription. Keep your ordonnance (renewal, reimbursement).
• You'll often be offered a generic (same efficacy, cheaper); refusing it may force you to pay upfront.
• Some chronic prescriptions are renewable for a while.

over the counter (names differ from Korean!).

• Pain/fever: paracetamol = Doliprane / Dafalgan, ibuprofen = Advil / Nurofen.
• Digestion: Smecta (diarrhoea), Gaviscon (heartburn). Cold: various syrups and tablets.
• Give the molecule; for your Korean basics, also try Korean marts.

the on-call pharmacy.

• At night, on Sundays and holidays, an on-call pharmacy stays open. The nearest one is posted on local pharmacy windows, or find it via 3237 (24/7, paid service) and 3237.fr — in Paris/Île-de-France, monpharmacien-idf.fr.

cost & reimbursement.

• Prescribed medicines are reimbursed 15-100 % by classification (the rest by the mutuelle); over-the-counter is usually at your expense.

tips.

• Bring your prescription and carte Vitale.
• Before a trip or the holidays, stock up your kit.
• Names differ: state the molecule.

common mistakes.

• Losing your prescription.
• Not knowing the on-call pharmacy.
• Refusing the generic and paying upfront.

FAQ.

Without a prescription? Minor issues, with the pharmacist's advice. Pay upfront? With the carte Vitale, often tiers payant. Night / Sunday? The on-call pharmacy. Korean names? Give the molecule (paracetamol…).

useful links.

• On JARI: Community · Expert services
• Read next: Getting healthcare · Finding a doctor · Emergency numbers
• Official: ameli.fr · service-public.fr