French pharmacies: What've they got that CVS doesn't?

I'd like to know what ibuprofen gel is (this was mentioned on that killing time on a flight thread).

A lot of creams and moisturizers that are marketed as "premium" products here are sold in drugstores in France at much better prices. You may also have heard about Chanel's "popular" line, Bourjois, which I see at Macy's here, but which is a drugstore product in France.

BTW, Sephora, which is not a drugstore, still has much better prices on cosmetics in France than at home.

All kinds of good stuff: exotic beauty products, loads of homeopathic pills and remedies, herbal cigarettes, over-the-counter drugs that would be prescriptions here in the USA, fabulous mosquito repellent, loads of tonics and body washes and whatever to make you slim and beautiful.

<< I'd like to know what ibuprofen gel is (this was mentioned on that killing time on a flight thread). >>

Ibuprofen is a drug that relieves pain and reduces inflammation. It can be purchased as Ibuprophen or is the active ingredient in Advil, Motrin, others.

Hi All,
Ibuprofen gel is not yet available in the U.S.A. One can rub it on an area that hurts & get almost instant relief without your system having to digest an analgesic & have it perhaps render unwanted side effects like an upset stomach to your system. it is, however, available throughout most of Europe. Also, codeine is sold OTC in a form in which it's bound to aspirin or another non-narcotic analgesic, unlike in the U.S., where a pharmacist must dispense codeine by prescription.

(Actually, JOdy is our resident pharmacist, who knows infinitely more than I ever will on this topic.)
BC

My daughter is diabetic. We found several sugar-free candies there that are not found in the US and the price was very inexpensive compared to US sugar-free candy.

They have such lines in pharmacies that in US are being sold in department stores or spas (and the difference in $ is huge). They have many cult cosmetic lines moderately priced that are not to be found in America at all (don't have the names with me now). This lines could very well compete with the most upscale skin care companies.
And more to it, take Nivea for example, the quality of these products made in Germany is different from what is made here.
Ditto "Fa". I buy a lot of their stuff too.
I personally like the Phytomer line, Yon-Ka, some things from Vichy, Fa, also whitening toothpaste.
Some products were recommended by my friends, but how many are still undiscovered.

They also sell medicated charcoal tablets which are great for upset stomachs. However, lots of familiar American over the counters are unheard of there, also a few herbals like echinachea are hard to find there. I made the mistake of trying to buy a ballpoint pen in a Parisian pharmacy - they thought I was crazy! Also - why is there a pharmacy on nearly every corner in Paris - are they all hypocondriacs?

Codeine cough drops/syrup. These aren't for the cough that's cleaning out your lungs; this is for the tail end irritating cough that keeps you awake all night, you take Formula 44, you wake up in the middle of the night coughing. One dose, you sleep all night because you don't cough, and you're cured.

Garnier hair care stuff - colors, shampoos, conditioners

The French are really into skin care, so lots of wonderful lotions and potions; even makeup is good for your skin.

Makeup appliers: brushes, sponges, puffs

Cotton pads and other makeup removers

good question about why there are so many pharmacies - you would think they would run each other out of business!! the best thing i ever bought at a french pharmacy was coconut oil (Huile de cacao) - it is great for massages. alright, alright, get you minds out of the gutter....

Hmmm, well this is all very interesting to me. I dimly recall a friend of mine being very excited to look for Retin-A without a prescription in Europe. Estee Lauder, look out?

But tell me this: when I walk into a Parisian pharmacy, will I need to know precisely what I'm looking for, or will it be okay to wander around and browse first?

In an Italian pharmacy to find bug-bite cream, I felt as though I was expected to be very business-like, stating my need, paying my money, and vamoosing. As Edina Monsoon (for those of you who watch Ab Fab) would say, "Unwelcoming? Vincent Price could take lessons!"

Should I be prepared for the same type of reception in France?

Phyllis,
I am a big fan of Edina's, so I had to answer your post. When you enter, say "bonjour!" to whomever you see working there (often someone will be behind the counter). You can head down the aisle of your choice--find things "pour visage", (for your face), like lotions. In my case with the discovery of the codeine, I walked up to the pharmacist & said "Pardon, j'ai besoin de quelque choses pour mal du tete" (I need something for a headache). The pharmacist asked if I had allergies--I knew she meant drug allergies, so I said "non". She furnished a small box covered in brown paper & charged me 21 francs. Upon return to the hotel, I discovered the box contained small blister-packed tabs, & when reading the ingredient list, I was able to make out the French equivalent of codeine and salicyclic acid, which is a compound used in aspirin. If you need something specific & can't find it, ask & they will help you, but probably in a somewhat business-like way. Don't be discouraged! It's not personal, it's just their business!
Bon Voyage,
BC

I like Bourjois makeup; it's a different brand than Chanel, although both brands have the same company owner (like Clinique and Lauder). It's not a drugstore product, though, if that means pharmacy -- it is in dept. stores of all kinds from Bon Marche down to Monoprix (which is where I buy it). I've never seen it in a pharmacy myself, but maybe it's there also (I don't shop for makeup in pharmacies). I've never found anything special in French pharmacies myself, but I don't look into skin care items much, maybe that's why. I have had trouble getting certain products in French pharmacies that are readily over-the-counter in US, much to my surprise. First, I look for items in Monoprix and then if I can't find them, go to a pharmacie figuring they are in they trade category (like aspirin) where they have to be sold in a pharmacy. Last month I wanted some eye drops like Visine -- never could get that in France and I conversed with the pharmacist in French after not finding anything on the shelf. He could not comprehend the concept of eyedrops that were not medicated for a disease; I explained my eyes were just dirty, irritated, I didn't want medication; he finally gave me something which wasn't as good to me as Visine, I forget the ingredients but it was recommended for conjunctivitis, which is more serious than what I had. I also never could get something like Pepto Bismo out of a French pharmacy, even when I used the scientific word for that substance. Again, the pharmacist couldn't seem to understand the idea that I had an upset stomach but did NOT have stomach acid or heartburn and did not want an antacid. I never got what I needed, which was some bismuth. I had a funny conversation with a pharmacist in Aix about why you couldn't buy aspirin in a Monoprix or supermarket but could get other stuff OTC in France you can't get without a prescription in US--the French way was the only correct way, as I recall.

This brings up an interesting topic, because American women (not men, they hate to shop, they do commando raids) like to browse. Yes, you need a new lipstick, but you wander through the card department, then check out the magazines, on over to the camera aisle to see if there's a sale on film, then the cutout bin for $3 CDS....so it's SOP to do that sort of browsing in ANY pharmacy. So, do European women NOT browse? U.S. retailers design their stores to encourage browsing (increases sales); it it different in Europe?

Anyway, I always browse pharmacies; I get some strange looks, and I know the clerks are talking about me behind the counter, but, eh, it gives them a little entertainment...and I find way cool manicure scissors....

Albuterol (Ventolin) for asthma is over the counter there - and an RX here. Also they sell some excellent muscle relaxers over the counter (can't remember the names) that are only RX here in the USA. I stock up on the hair care line, "Phytotherathrie" sold in drugstores in Paris at less than half of what I pay here in the USA.

Elvira, now I know why I always got strange peering looks in pahrmacies
in France and Italy. I always assumed they thought I was getting ready to shoplift when I was browsing and picking up different bottles, etc.
I really couldn't figure it out until now. Thanks

So once you buy things in France that you can not buy in the US without a prescription what do you do next? Do you enjoy it in France...use it all up then come home? Or, do you take it back to the US, and if so how? Do you have to sneek it in or is it legal to take this stuff back to US?

I know Retin-A is not a controlled substance, but I would still be concerned with coming back to US with this and no prescription. And for those of you who are using codeine for aches...well...I would really be afraid to bring that back.

Christina brought up something interesting a few posts back-- a pharmacy in France is something different from Monoprix (not sure what the generic term should be...discount store?). Whereas at CVS or Savon you can fill prescriptions as well as get shampoo or magazines, those things are often more segregated in France. (I believe Boots in England is closer to what we think of as a drugstore-- am I right?) Anyway, you do have to be in the right store for what you are looking for.

One thing that is routine at CVS that is very tough to find is antiperspirant, as opposed to deoderant. It does exist, but on the shelf it's about one product out of ten. Like others have decribed, I spent a long time studying labels trying to be sure that I was getting what I wanted.

Dear Curious,
Some time ago, there was a thread called "Shopping at A Pharmacy or Chemist's" & JOdy, a licensed U.S. pharmacist cited a law precisely which states you can bring back a certain quantity (not a steamer-trunk) of meds purchased in Europe for your own consumption. I think if I try to bring back 100 boxes of codeine-filled analgesics, it would be thought of as "distributing" the drug, which would be illegal here in the U.S. However, if I have 1 box in my suitcase, I don't risk arrest.
BC

I am also a pharmacist.

The FDA allows certain medications to be brought into the country, generally in a quantity not to exceed 90 days (or three months). The following substances may not be brought into the US in this manner:

1. Substances which come under the Drug Enforcement Administration Schedule I (e.g. Heroin, peyote, marijuana, hashish and other controlled substances such as crystal meth, ecstacy, etc.) and II (Demerol, morphine, codeine without any other ingedients) and certain other substances such as Rohypnol. In general, controlled substances may be difficult to bring into the US because of strict enforcement of narcotics laws.
2. The Customs Officer may ask if you have a physician's prescription for these medications. I do not know whether or not they may confiscate them.
3. Certain phytomedicinals (herbals) which are not processed in any way, e. g. they may be considered a threat to agriculture because of pests, etc.
4. Any other substance banned by State or Federal law, e. g. "Poppers".

I suggest you consult the DEA or FDA website for more information.

Hope that helps.

Soap?

ttt

Anti-perspirant is virtually non-existant in some areas, if my experience in and around Chinon is any indication. Don't leave home without it!

Although I try to avoid old threads, I do want to point out that drugs with codeine will be losing their OTC status. It's happened at many pharmacies already--we can still get it from the pharmacists that know us, but if we go into an unfamiliar pharmacy, the pharmacists will tell us a prescription is now required. By the end of the year, we read, no more OTC codeine products in France or Belgium.

Not to be gross but, last summer I found myself in Strasbourg and suffering from a yeast infection. I went to the local pharmacy and managed to convey my problem to the woman pharmacist. I was very pleased when she finally understood what I meant. The resulting medication was awesome and far better than what you can buy in the U.S. A simple little suppository abou the size of a hershey kiss and problem solved. I wish I had bought a couple more to bring home.

gee, thanks for sharing, fran.

Care to share the name of the medication, Fran?

You can get about a month's supply of Claritin (the allergy medicine) in France for about $8.00. I plan to stock up on it this summer as my husband and son suffer from severe allergies in springtime here in the DC area.

French pharmacies also sell a light sleeping pill called Donormyl that lets me sleep on planes for a couple of hours at least with no side effects. Great stuff.

The French aspirin Dolipran, which is fizzy like Alkaseltzer Plus, seems to work far better than normal aspirin. And of course you can get aspirin with codeine over the counter if you want, which is useful if you think you're going to have a killer headache sometime in the future or break a bone in an out-of-the-way location.

There are other amazing bargains to be had. French pharmacies are simply wonderful.

Actually, legally, codeine shouldn't be sold OTC. And it has been that way for quite a long time (I waould say 10 years or so). However, it seems it's not really enforced since pharmacists still sell it OTC. It sems to depends on whether the pharmacist thinks you look like a drug addict or a honest old lady.

I must look like an honest old lady, though I resent the inference

Did someone suggest that Phytomer products are drugstore brands in Paris?

Many years ago as a student in Paris, I came down with a terrible sore throat. I went to the local pharmacy and was sold suppositories. I figured this word must mean something different in French but lo and behold, when I got back to my pension, I realized it meant the same thing as in English. So I tossed the box to the back of my armoire.

Several months later, broke and suffering from yet another nasty sore throat, I was forced to resort to those suppositories. To my surprise, I soon had a menthol taste in my mouth and it cured the sore throat! The French were not as strange as I had originally thought them to be.

The point with suppositories is that the product enters quickly in the blood stream...


Apart from that, since we were talking about codeine, the drug addicts I refered to aren't fond of suppositories. So, when the drug can be misused and the pharmacist doesn't know you, he could give you suppositories instead of say, pills containing the same product, because you're likely to use them only if you're actually ill.

Interesting! Wish I'd read this one BEFORE I went to France.

St.Cirq,
Is it alright to take this Donormyl for a few nights after a long flight?I have a 12 hour flight and counting an hour to the airport, and checking in 3 hours ahesd, with 9 hours difference in time, I'm usually unable to sleep much the first few nights. Some people estimate it takes a day for each time zone crossed to get back to normal.
Do you have any idea what is in it?
Thanks for a reply.
Kay

Does Italian pharmacies have the same cosmetics etc...?

coffee flavored cough medicine.

Are we only talking FRENCH pharmacies???? or would many of these same things be found in Italian Pharmacies???

Thank you.

Yes, Italian and UK one have lots of things available, that require a prescription here...and as St Cirq pointed out...so much less expensive..30 claritin in the US runs about $75.00 and if it's $8.00 in France, the pharmacy is the first place I'm heading!

Someone must know what kind of things can you buy in Italy pharmacies that oe can'y buy in US.

via,
Bayer (same company that makes aspirin) makes a solid mosquito repellent that you apply on your body the same way you'd apply solid anti-perspirant to your underarms. You get good coverage this way & it's very effective & inexpensive.

Buon Viaggio,
BC

TTTTTTT!!!!!

I use Yon-Ka skin care line for many years. In US you can get it only in certain salon and it costs a pretty penny. How expensive it in France. Is it like a drugstore-priced product?

On another thread about what you wished you had brought (that you did not), ALLEG

























On another thread about what you wished you had brought and did NOT, someone wished (that they had brought) more ALLEGRA. Can I now assume that they were not able to buy it in Italy (or wherever their antihistamine requiring problem started). ALLEGRA is way too expensive here and I hate to hear my large husband sneeze LARGE, LOUD sneezes and would love to buy some in Italy.

Has anyone bought it there???

Carmen,
Do you remember what the stuff you got for your sore throat was? We are going to Paris next week & would like to get some. It is almost impossible to find something that works for sore throats here. Even if you can't remember the name if you have any idea what was in it or how to ask for it.

Thanks!

Topping!!!

Can you still buy Tylenol/aspirin that contains CODEINE in Paris w/out a Rx?

Havana, you're beginning to sound a bit desperate.

One very special thing: the pharmacists are trained to identify poisonous mushrooms.

Another question on this topic...can I buy vitamins, calcium pills, etc....

Yes. But you'll find that vitamins can be more expensive than they are here--our friends always ask us to bring big bottles.

I was prescribed an ibuprofen cream once for a muscle ache(had to get it from a compounding pharmacy), but the doctor said it still is absorbed systemically.

Sue

Ibuprofen is a systemic analgesic, like aspirin. I suspect that supplying it as a cream or gel is more of a marketing ploy than anything else.

Anyway, French pharmacies are much more complete than American pharmacies, and the pharmacists seem to be much better trained as well. They also make a lot more money, since pharmacies have so many legal monopolies, including a monopoly on the sale of all medications, including over-the-counter medications. If you are feeling sick in France often a pharmacist can give you something to make you feel better without the need to visit a doctor—and if your symptoms sound like they need a doctor's attention, the pharmacist will tell you so.

French pharmacies also sell a lot of things that would be considered questionable in the U.S., such as instant diet plans, homeopathic remedies, and so on. The philosophy in France seems to be that, as long as it's known not to be harmful, it's okay to sell it, even if it's not proven to be effective. The actual medications are generally effective, but all the other stuff they sell may or may not be. It does give you plenty of choices, though. They even sell medicines for kitties and doggies.

I suffer from very bad osteo arthritis in my right knee and my feet for 40 days my latst attack was brutal unable to leave the house with comfort, I was determined to go to Paris alone thinking it was my swan song. The first week, at the beginning, I took taxis to my meeting friends or wherever my interests were but I was unconfortabl could hardly walk so I visited a pharmacist, told him my problem that the pain was bad and my ibrupufin, aleve, were not workig for me. He suggested intralgis, a ibuproféne combination of things that worked for me. I still limped at the end of the day, but I walked miles without pain.

Mimi, I had no idea your arthritis was that bad. I'm so glad you made it to Paris & that you had a great time despite your arthritis troubles, managing to make meetings with friends via taxi. So happy that the pharmacist was able to provide you with medicine that helped you. I will never complain about my arthritis again!

As for my own little story, I'm just glad that generic names of medicine are universal. I walked into one pharmacy, requested ibuprofen & was given it without any quizzical looks.

I like to buy Anne de Peraudel soaps. They smell wonderful & are beautifully packaged while being so inexpensive! I also buying Roger & Gallet soaps.

mary, R%G are easily bought here but I do swear by the shampoo that is not available except in the Sofital hotels and on line shampooing doux nature.
P.S. Mary, I never saw anyone wearing cowboy boots, they were all on sale and pass'I suspect, it was nothing but boots and was soerry not to see feminine footwear in style, (sigh) next spring or summer, maybe I may see .

Oh, I know R&G can be bought here (especially at TJ Maxx) - I just like buying it at the pharmacies.

The cowboy boots I saw on both men & women. Some were straight-up rugged cowboy boots you'd find on a cattle ranch & some were just decorative footwear (one memorable set was a very loud turquoise I saw in the Metro)!

"Anyway, French...pharmacists seem to be much better trained as well."

They are not trained any better but they generally have a greater scope of practice.

French pharmacists routinely diagnose minor ailments, something that US pharmacists are generally not permitted to do.

French pharmacies are therefore often the first line of diagnosis for an ailing Frenchmen.

I was somewhat amused to read a previous rant about America's alleged drug culture when France has the highest rate of depression in Europe (and a rate that is 2.5 to three times that of the USA depending on which study you read) with an accompanying vast number of people gulping down anti-depressants.

Rillifane,when I was a child growing up in an Italian ghetto with poor parents, our pharmacist was our rescuer who often treated my deep cuts
and other ailments that my parents could not afford had they brought me to a doctor. Those days are gone but I will never forget them.

cigalechanta,

Don't get me wrong. I like the French system.

I think its pretty common for travellers to come down with minor but annoying complaints and its good to know you can walk into a pharmacy and discuss your symptoms.

I have not been on this forum in 6 months (I used to be an addict) but I am SO glad I checked it...because I am currently in Paris and my boyfriend is nearly out of albuterol (Ventolin) and the apartment we're renting is causing him severe asthma. If it's true that it's sold OTC here, it's just saved my vacation. Thank you, Fodors!!

"They even sell medicines for kitties and doggies."

While vets in the US are likely to give you prescriptions already, sometimes they will give you an Rx that you can take to your local compounding pharmacy (a pharmacy that does have ingredients and can mix them together).

This is pretty useful if you need to give Clavomox to your pet, but there's just no way they're going to accept the banana flavour that seem to come with it - then you can go to the compounding pharmacy and they can make a beef, fish or chicken flavoured Clavomox.

So it can be done here too.

Situation in the UK is similar to France.Ibuprofen Gel is available and Ibuprofen in many forms.
Supermarkets etc are not allowed to sell analgesics, particularly Paracetemol, in packs of more than 16 because of the risk of overdose and liver damage. If you want more, ask the pharmacist, I regularly buy 96 packs of 400mg Ibuprofen. BTW, it's always a good idea to ask for the GENERIC drug, as the branded products are the same thing at a much higher price , only in fancy packaging.
Pharmacists are allowed to prescribe for minor ailments, see http://www.nhs.uk/England/Pharmacies/Default.aspx

I love my Doliprane, a fizzy type of paracetamol (acetominophen). It's sort of like an Alka Seltzer, a big pill that fizzes. But, I think it works better than Tylenol.

Medications may not be sold at all in France outside of pharmacies. Even OTC drugs are available only at pharmacies.

The reason there seems to be a lot of pharmacies in Paris is that the pharmacy licensing is based on population, and the population of Paris is so dense that it's possible to have several pharmacies on every city block.

Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is a fine analgesic and antipyretic, but don't overdo things with this medication, as an overdose can destroy your liver (in which case your only chance of survival is a liver transplant). Also, never take acetaminophen and drink alcohol.

Back in March someone asked If you could still get aspirin with codeine over the counter in France. You can get it in Canada without a prescription, Ac&C or Tylenol 1s if you ask at the pharmacy counter. So if you are close to the border....

Codeine is useful for pain relief and cough suppression, and there are several French OTC remedies for both that contain it. The analgesics are usually for severe pain (such as a migraine or a bad toothache); the antitussives are usually for persistent non-productive cough that fails to respond to other remedies.

Does ANYONE KNOW if i can get antibiotics in France w/o a prescription? Yes, that whole browsing thing is so weird. Seems odd that they don't do it, being the laid back people they are.

I would hope they're not that laid-back. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics generates more dangerous bacteria, and that can't be confined to any one country.

I bought an ibuprofen cream earlier this year in France and didn't really think it helped all that much.

How would one ask for Retin-A? Is it pronounced the same in French?

Sue

I got a very good pill for migraines in France without a prescription. Just tell them you have a migraine and you'll get the right drug because the word is very similar in French. The pills are quite reasonably priced and work much, much better than any OTC drug in the U.S. I brought several boxes home and was glad I did.

I would hesitate buying/using anything that IRA Did'nt recommend.
Parfym

Ibuprofen as a cream isn't very effective, since it's a systemic analgesic, not a local analgesic. You have to get it into your bloodstream, not into your skin. I don't know why it is sold as a cream.

Normally you need a prescription for most antibiotics in France. However, there is some tolerance of pharmacists selling it at their discretion. For example, when an American doctor friend of mine needed some for tummy problems, they sold it to her, even though she's not able to write prescriptions in France. There are some topical antibiotics that are available without a prescription.

The most popular migraine remedies in France contain a blend of ingredients that are proven effective against these headaches, namely, acetaminophen, caffeine, and codeine. This is the same as Tylenol-2 with codeine, but in France you don't need a prescription for such low doses of codeine. They are indeed very useful for bad headaches, and can also help with severe toothaches, back strains, etc.

There is one brand of migraine medicine that is the same as above but contains aspirin instead of acetaminophen. It can be useful if you want to avoid taking too much acetaminophen on board to avoid toxicity.

Strangely enough, one extremely useful medication that you cannot get at all in France is Pepto-Bismol. The sale of bismuth salts (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) has been restricted since the 1970s, after some public hysteria that blamed it for brain damage.

Given some of the responses above, especially about what to use for this and that I'd say the CVS may have more savvy shoppers.

CVS might have more savvy shoppers, but can they distinguish poisonous from safe wood mushrooms? That's one service French pharmacists provide.

I don't know about the antibiotics without a prescription, but what I do know is I bought the best hair coloring product in a little pharmacy in Villefranche-sur-mer. It was not Garnier which you can buy at CVS. I had saved the box top for a long time but cannot find it and I do not remember the name of the product.

Underhill,

Regarding mushrooms : I've ben brought up in the countryside, and collected my share of mushroooms.

Indeed, in theory, pharmacists are supposed to be able to identify poisonous mushrooms. In practice, though, in my experience, they don't know much about mushrooms, I would even say close to nothing. They probably studied that at some point, but in all likehood forgot. Plus, identifying mushrooms often isn't that easy. When I was a kid, the local phamacist used to give his blessing,as far as I can tell, to two species, and nothing else. His sucessor was only marginally better. And this was in the countryside, where mushrooms abunded, and many non-locals would visit him to enquire about their collect.

The result is that in practice, they err on the side of caution (which is the right thing to do, of course), and are going to tell you to throw away mostly all mushrooms (including perfectly edible ones) apart from the rare ones they're very familiar with.

So, of course, you won't (or at least shouldn't) poison yourself if you follow the advice of the pharmacist, but don't be surprised if your neighbor is cooking a dozen species of mushrooms the pharmacist warned you against.

To say the truth, I must admit that I would generally advise against collecting mushrooms if you don't have experience with them, and would be reluctant to eat any mushroom I'm unfamiliar with, even if provided with ample evidences that they're safe, so I can hardly cast stones at pharmacists.

But I just wanted to mention that pharmacists really aren't experts regarding the identification of mushrooms, in my experience, though they're indeed supposed to provide this service.

" Also they sell some excellent muscle relaxers over the counter (can't remember the names) that are only RX here in the USA."

That may well be 'Decontractyl'...good stuff, if you're prone to back issues, and you should have seen the look on the face of the French pharmacist when I asked for twenty boxes of it. For me and my friends, of course.

I am leaving for France in 2 weeks & was wondering if La Roche Anthelios sunscreen with Mexoryl is cheaper there. Here it costs $29 which I think is excessive. Also, where would I get it? Thanks

Sparks - many pharmacys sell it. But you can do a search here to see where is the closest point to wherever you are going

http://ce1.1bis.com/light/default.asp?i=L9r2p

From a previous thread: The magic cream is made by the Swiss firm Novartis:

Voltaren Emulgel is a gel for rubbing into the skin and contains a substance called diclofenac. Diclofenac is one of a group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics (NSAI). Voltaren Emulgel is used to relieve pain and reduce swelling in a number of conditions affecting the joints and muscles. Voltaren Emulgel works particularly well on inflammation of tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints due to trauma (e.g. sports injuries, sprains, strains and bruises), soft tissue rheumatism and localized rheumatic conditions, e.g. bursitis. For aches and pains, back, neck and shoulder pain. Voltaren Emulgel is available in 100gram tubes.

Can someone tell me if this is widely available in Paris?

I recently purchased a similar item in Paris called TIBURON. In a tube.

The LaRoche Anthelios creme is, surprisingly, not a great buy in France; I think I paid at least 25 euro for a tube last fall. Of course it is possible that I paid a high price since this was at a pharmacy in central Paris. Are there discount pharmacies in France by any chance?

The price of prescription medicine is controlled by law -- same price everyhere. But I confess that I have no idea regarding non-prescription medicine. And of course anything that a pharmacy sells that is not medicine can be sold at any price that the market will bear.

I buy the Louis Widmer skin products. Made in Switzerland, excellent quality, and much less expensive than others of the quality.

Another poster that was in Paris first posted about the Voltaren Emugel, so I assume it is widely available. Try Cite
Pharmacie , corner of Rue Bonaparte and du Four for the very best prices on meds and cosmetics.

I pay 3,50 € there for Roc hand cream and paid 8,90 € for it at a regular pharmacy!

The Voltaren gel is widely available in London. I brought 6 tubes home with me to last until Fall, when I get back to Paris.

http://www.cbip.be/ggr/index.cfm?ggrWelk=MAIN

This is a really good site for Belgium - you can see the price of things and wheter they are by perscription or not.