Phyllis Stein

The discussion of how to kill time on a long flight prompted several Fodorites to mention the goodies they stock up on at pharmacies in France. <BR> <BR>I'm preparing for my first-ever trip to Paris. So now here's something ELSE I have to learn: why should I make a special trip to the pharmacy? What do you all buy there that you can't buy at home? Lemme in on it, will ya?

dinah

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

Robin

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

StCirq

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.

Fred

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

Book Chick

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

julie

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.

Larisa

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. <BR>And more to it, take Nivea for example, the quality of these products made in Germany is different from what is made here. <BR>Ditto "Fa". I buy a lot of their stuff too. <BR>I personally like the Phytomer line, Yon-Ka, some things from Vichy, Fa, also whitening toothpaste. <BR>Some products were recommended by my friends, but how many are still undiscovered.

DougD

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?

elvira

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. <BR> <BR>Garnier hair care stuff - colors, shampoos, conditioners <BR> <BR>The French are really into skin care, so lots of wonderful lotions and potions; even makeup is good for your skin. <BR> <BR>Makeup appliers: brushes, sponges, puffs <BR> <BR>Cotton pads and other makeup removers <BR>

janet

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....

Phyllis Stein

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? <BR> <BR>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? <BR> <BR>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!" <BR> <BR>Should I be prepared for the same type of reception in France?

Book Chick

Phyllis, <BR>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! <BR>Bon Voyage, <BR>BC

Christina

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.

elvira

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? <BR> <BR>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....

Kimbuys

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.

Nance

Elvira, now I know why I always got strange peering looks in pahrmacies <BR>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. <BR>I really couldn't figure it out until now. Thanks

curious

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? <BR> <BR>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.

Robin

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. <BR> <BR>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.

Book Chick

Dear Curious, <BR>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. <BR>BC