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Some more things you need to know about French pharmacies


alittlebitfrench
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I think Complete France in their article '11 things you need to know about French pharmacies' missed a couple of things. Here are my thoughts...

1) Because of all the paperwork/photocopying involved when getting a prescription the average time it takes open being served to leaving the pharmacy is 1hr. So don't be in a rush.

2) Following on from the above, be prepared to lose the will to live.....especially when waiting to be served.

3) Sometimes you may have to take a ticket with a number like you do in supermarkets. My advice, just push in. Everyone else does.

3) The pharmacists will insist to write down the prescription instructions on the packet which you will not understand unless you have advanced French.

4) There are many 'low cost' pharmacies around that charge half the price of drugs than other French pharmacies. So shop around.

5) Those mosquito bracelets they sell at the counter don't work.

6) Fervex 'apparently' can cause heart attacks so think twice when going to a French pharmacy with flue symptoms.

There must be more..
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Never really had to wait long in a French pharma, but then I avoid the times when people go there in droves, school and work finish times mainly and Saturdays.

They can be so snooty though sometimes as if they are any different from and other retail outlet. What I do dislike is that the price is not marked on the boxes of medicines, over the counter or otherwise, which makes me wonder if they fix the price according to the customer.
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I must live in a different France to everyone else.

I once got slightly ticked of when I had to wait nearly 10 minutes to get served, but that was my own fault for turning up on market day and standing behind a couple of ladies who had obviously just come from the doctor with prescriptions designed to cover the ills of the whole of their hamlet. [Market day here is traditionally a day when people go to the doctor without making an appointment beforehand.].

All the medications we buy or get on prescription have price labels on them.

The staff are all friendly and those that have been there for some time refer to us by name. A couple of the staff even try to practice their English on us - even though we always ask for what we want in French.
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I like your style Brit in Bretagne. LOL.

The Breton weather and eating galette complete every night will get to you eventually. You won't be the first and you won't be the last.

You might end up doing you tube series of videos about the standard of driving in Bretagne. This guy needs help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AFRNkjlphk
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Well....

A lot of people have 75 and don't live in Paris. It is quite cool if you have a Porche.

92 is a company car reg !!! so they could be from anywhere.

78 in most parts is as rural as Bretagne.

A lot of people have 2a plates but don't live in Corse. That is cool.

I was at the tunnel once and there was a 24 registered French plate BMW SUV tank. Out hopped the monster family with an Essex accent to match. Yikes !!
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Don't forget the personalised service and advice from a highly-qualified professional.

A locum GP (who normally works in Camden town but was in France for a while) prescribed a medicine I absolutely mustn't take in combination with the others I have.

My Phamacist picked that up and suggested a different medicine which did the same job with no risk, and I went back and got a prescription for that.

They give advice on various medical other issues such as  whether mushrooms are edible or not, which plant remedies are worthwhile; and they provide a first-aid service for minor injuries.

In my quartier populaire they also provide simple medical advice for the poor and those who aren't in the system or have very little French, so if I have to wait a while for them to help someone in a desperate  situation I am prepared to do so.

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[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]Well....

A lot of people have 75 and don't live in Paris. It is quite cool if you have a Porche.

92 is a company car reg !!! so they could be from anywhere.

![/quote]

I presume you mean Dr Ferdinand's sports cars. If so you're missing an s. Perhaps you mean a small extension by the front door but that's not spelled like that either.

A whole department of company cars. Lucky residents, perhaps that's why there taxes are so high in Hauts de Seine.
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@ Brit

A lot of company cars are plated 92 and a lot of people who live in Hauts de Seine were born/from Bretagne (and everywhere else in France) who have moved to the area with their families for work. So all those 92 reg cars you are turning you nose up in Bretagne were probably born there. Were you ?

Having just spent the last two years living 'Becon' in Hauts de Seine I can tell you that people living there are really nice. In fact it is one of the top places I have lived in France. The family of my little boys best friend at school was from Bretagne !!!! Would you believe. In fact, I I don't think I met anyone who was originally from Hauts de Seine. BTW, the taxes are not that high.

Now, I have just returned from Bretagne where I met my OH visiting her French family who are from there !!!!.......not the UK like yourself. She was in a 92 reg company car. I was in my 45 reg car. We live in 37.

Any other points you need my help with ????? LOL
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