Buying Medicine in Shanghai: A Pharmacy Guide for Foreigners

The first time I caught a cold in Shanghai, I stood in a pharmacy pointing at my own throat like a mime with stage fright. The pharmacist was kind, the charade eventually worked, and I walked out with exactly what I needed for 18 kuai. Since then I have learned the systematic version, and it turns pharmacy runs from an ordeal into a five-minute errand. How do I find a pharmacy in Shanghai? Look for the green cross. Pharmacies (药店, yàodiàn) are everywhere in Shanghai, and the big licensed chains are the ones to use: Yifeng (益丰大药房), Laobaixing (老百姓大药房), Guoda (国大药房), Huashi (华氏大药房) and the heritage TCM house Leiyunshang (雷允上). Chains keep consistent stock, display their license, and occasionally have staff with some English. Skip the small unbranded shops in touristy corners; they are where expired and questionable products occasionally lurk. Wherever you buy, the expiry date follows 有效期至 ("valid until") on the box, in year-month format. Do I need a prescription? Not for most everyday medicine. Painkillers, cold and allergy remedies, and stomach basics are over the counter, no questions asked. But antibiotics, asthma inhalers, and chronic medications like blood pressure pills…