Gillian Knows Best guide to what to buy at the Italian pharmacy
You don't have to go to Paris for good value skincare & pretty toothpaste
There are endless articles and Instagram Reels and TikTok’s about what to buy at a French pharmacy, but there are surprisingly few about what to buy at the Italian pharmacy.
We may not have a City Pharm, or Officine Universelle Buly1 in Rome or Venice but what we do have all over Italy are something called Parafamacia. This is kind of the Italian version of a CVS or Walgreens. Parafarmacie only sell over the counter medications and usually are well stocked with hair and skin care, soaps, toothpaste and lotion. This is where to find those TikTok famous French brands like Huile Prodigieuse and Bioderma and Caudelie.
If you have a prescription be filled look for a flashing green cross, that is the symbol for a pharmacy. If you a minor medical need you may2 be able to get what you need from the pharmacist3. One thing you will not find at the Italian pharmacy is a 200 count bottle of Motrin. Acetaminophen is available here but it is most commonly sold in a box with 10 tablets at a much higher price than in the US. Here is a list of OTC medications available in Italy.
🏥 As a general rule: In Pharmacies many things will be behind the counter and you will have to ask the pharmacist for help. In most Parafamacia some health and most beauty items are on the shelves.
You already know that the grocery store is one of my favorite places to shop for souvenirs and gifts. Don’t forget to check the shampoo and deodorant and toothpaste aisle. The prices are usually a little less than at the parafarmacia. Even if it is a brand available where you live, I think that it is just more fun to have the Italian version in your home medicine cabinet.
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