Short answer
Pharmacies are everywhere in Chinese cities, they are well stocked, and most everyday medicine is sold without a prescription. That includes painkillers, cold and flu remedies, antihistamines, stomach medicines and rehydration salts.
The catch is language, not regulation. Labels and package inserts are in Chinese, and staff in a neighbourhood pharmacy usually do not speak English. The reliable fix is to show the Chinese name of the medicine — on your phone, or as a photo of the box — rather than trying to describe your symptoms in English.
Antibiotics and stronger drugs need a prescription and are dispensed through a hospital or against a doctor's prescription. If a pharmacy sells you antibiotics off the shelf without one, that is not a service — it is a signal to go elsewhere.
Where to buy medicine
Look for the characters 药店 (pharmacy) or 大药房 (large pharmacy) and a green cross sign. Beyond that, there are four practical routes.
| Where | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Chain pharmacy | Everyday over-the-counter medicine | Regulated, well stocked, predictable pricing; some staff speak basic English |
| Independent neighbourhood pharmacy | A quick painkiller or cold remedy | Smaller selection, almost no English; fine for simple items |
| Hospital pharmacy | Prescription drugs, anything the doctor ordered | Widest selection, but you go through the hospital first — see our hospital guide |
| Delivery apps | Getting something to your hotel without leaving | Works through Chinese apps with a local address; prescription items may trigger an online consultation |
Large cities have pharmacies that stay open 24 hours, and pharmacies attached to hospitals often do too. Outside those, expect normal shop hours — if you might need something at 2am, buy it during the day.
Prescription or over the counter?
China classifies medicines three ways, and the box tells you which you are holding.
| Category | Marking on the box | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Prescription drug (处方药) | No OTC mark; often marked Rx | Needs a licensed doctor's prescription. Sold through hospitals and pharmacies against that prescription. |
| Class A non-prescription | Red/orange oval OTC mark | Sold at pharmacies, with pharmacist advice available at the counter. |
| Class B non-prescription | Green oval OTC mark | The most freely sold tier — also stocked by some non-pharmacy retailers. |
Two things surprise visitors. First, more is available over the counter than at home, a long list of medicines that are prescription-only in Europe or North America are Class A or B here. Second, antibiotics are prescription-only, and enforcement has tightened over the years.
What you can generally buy without a prescription:
- Pain and fever relievers, ibuprofen, paracetamol (acetaminophen), aspirin
- Cold and flu medicines, cough syrups, throat lozenges
- Antihistamines and allergy tablets
- Antacids, anti-diarrhoeals, laxatives, motion-sickness tablets, oral rehydration salts
- Basic topical creams and ointments, vitamins and supplements
- Traditional Chinese medicine (中药), which sits alongside Western medicine on the same shelves
What you should expect to need a prescription for: strong painkillers, most psychiatric and neurological medicines, controlled substances, and antibiotics.
How to ask for what you need
- Find the Chinese name before you goThe single most effective move. Save the characters on your phone, or photograph the box of the medicine you normally take at home.
- Show it at the counterPoint at the characters, or hand over your phone. This works far better than spoken English or even spoken Chinese.
- Say what it's for, in Chinese, if you canA translation app on speaker is usually good enough: headache, fever, cough, stomach, allergy, sleep.
- Ask for the pharmacist if you need adviceLarger pharmacies employ licensed pharmacists (药师). Their credentials should be displayed, and so should the pharmacy's business licence.
- Check the dosage yourselfFollow the Chinese instructions on the box, but note that dosing and pack sizes differ from home. If the numbers look unfamiliar, ask the pharmacist to write them down.
- Pay and keep the receiptMobile payment works as everywhere else in China. Keep the receipt if you might claim on insurance.
Common medicines and their Chinese names
| What you want | Chinese name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ibuprofen | 布洛芬 | Anti-inflammatory painkiller |
| Paracetamol / acetaminophen | 对乙酰氨基酚 | Fever and pain |
| Aspirin | 阿司匹林 | Also used at low dose for heart patients |
| Cold medicine | 感冒药 | A whole category — combination products are common |
| Cough syrup | 止咳糖浆 | Ask whether it is for dry or chesty coughs |
| Sore throat lozenges | 润喉片 | Sold in boxes, cheap |
| Antihistamine / allergy medicine | 抗过敏药 | Watch for drowsiness |
| Antacid / stomach medicine | 抗酸药 | Heartburn, indigestion |
| Anti-diarrhoeal | 止泻药 | Pair with rehydration salts |
| Motion-sickness tablets | 晕车药 | Buy before the bus, not on it |
Buying prescription medicine
If what you need is prescription-only, you go through a doctor first; there is no shortcut worth taking. Register at a hospital outpatient clinic, see the doctor, and have the prescription filled at the hospital pharmacy or, where permitted, an outside pharmacy with the prescription in hand. Chinese hospitals dispense their own prescriptions, so this is usually the simplest route.
Hospital pharmacies also stock things a street pharmacy does not, which makes them worth the extra steps if you need a specific product rather than a generic.
Bringing your own medication into China
- Keep everything in its original packaging with the pharmacy label and your prescription, and carry it in hand luggage.
- Bring a doctor's letter for anything injectable, narcotic or unusual, and for medical devices.
- Check the restricted list before you fly. Some medicines that are ordinary prescriptions at home are controlled in China, stimulants and certain opioids and sedatives are the usual problem cases. Verify against the official regulator's list rather than a blog.
- Learn the generic name of anything you take regularly. Brand names differ, and the generic name is what a Chinese pharmacy or doctor will recognise.
- Don't plan on refilling a foreign prescription locally. A Chinese doctor normally has to write a new prescription, which means a hospital visit.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a prescription to buy medicine in China?
No for most everyday medicine, painkillers, cold and flu remedies, antihistamines, stomach medicines and rehydration salts are sold over the counter. Antibiotics, strong painkillers, most psychiatric medicines and controlled substances require a prescription.
How do I know if something is over the counter?
Look for an oval OTC mark on the box: orange-red for Class A, which is sold at pharmacies with pharmacist advice, and green for Class B, the most freely available tier. Boxes with no OTC mark are prescription drugs.
Can I get antibiotics without a prescription in China?
Antibiotics are prescription-only in China and enforcement has tightened. If a pharmacy offers them over the counter, treat that as a reason to go somewhere else, and see a doctor, because antibiotics are the wrong answer for most travel illnesses anyway.
What if nobody at the pharmacy speaks English?
Show the Chinese name of the medicine on your phone, or a photo of the box you use at home. This works far better than spoken English. A translation app on speaker covers the rest, and larger pharmacies sometimes have English-speaking staff.
Can I get medicine delivered to my hotel?
Yes, through Chinese delivery apps, you order medicine the same way you order food. You need the app and your hotel address in Chinese. Prescription items may require an online consultation before the order is approved.
Are traditional Chinese medicines worth trying?
They are widely used and sold alongside Western medicine, and many travellers find some of them helpful for colds and digestive trouble. Treat them as you would any unfamiliar medicine: buy from a licensed pharmacy, follow the instructions, and check for interactions if you take regular medication.
Can I refill my regular prescription in China?
Not directly from a foreign prescription. You would need to see a Chinese doctor, who writes a new prescription, which is then filled at a hospital pharmacy. Bring enough of your own supply to cover the trip instead.
Are medicine prices in China cheap?
Generally low by Western standards, especially generics and hospital-dispensed drugs. Prices vary by brand, city and whether the product is imported. Pharmacies should be able to give you a receipt showing what you paid.
Related reading
The prescription, Class A and Class B non-prescription classification follows China's national medicine classification rules and official city guidance (english.shanghai.gov.cn); medicine names and availability are cross-checked against current pharmacy guides. Product availability, pricing and antibiotic enforcement vary by province and change over time, check the box marking and ask the pharmacist before you buy.