What to say at the pharmacy in English
I have a headache and a stuffy nose.
“My head hurts and my nose is blocked.”
When: Your first line at the pharmacy counter
The moment
You woke up in your Brooklyn apartment with a headache and a stuffy nose. You walk to the drugstore on the corner to tell the pharmacist how you feel and get something for it.
A2 · Unit 3 · Daily life
The lines
Saying what's wrong
Start with "I have" and the problem. Join two problems with "and": "I have a headache and a stuffy nose." This one line tells the pharmacist almost everything.
I have a headache and a stuffy nose.
“My head hurts and my nose is blocked.”
When to use it: Your first line at the pharmacy counter
What you’ll hear back: Okay. Do you have a fever too?
Asking for advice
Pharmacists in the US help with small problems for free. Let them choose for you: "What do you recommend for a cold?" Change "a cold" to your problem: "for a sore throat", "for allergies".
What do you recommend for a cold?
“What medicine is good for a cold?”
When to use it: Right after you say how you feel
What you’ll hear back: Try this one. It's non-drowsy. (It won't make you sleepy.)
Words for this scene
| Word or phrase | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| How often should I take it? | how AW-fin shood-ai TAY-kit | How many times a day do I use this medicine? |
Okay, thanks. And how often should I take it? Okay, thank you. How many times a day do I use it? Tip: Labels say "every 4 to 6 hours"; never take more than listed. | ||
| Do I need a prescription for this? | doo-ai NEE-duh pruh-SKRIP-shun fer THIS | Do I need a paper from a doctor to buy this? |
It's for my cough. Do I need a prescription for this? It's for my cough. Can I buy it without a doctor's paper? Tip: Prescriptions are picked up at the counter in the back. | ||
| My allergies are acting up. | mai AL-er-jeez er AK-ting UP | My allergy problems are bad right now. |
My allergies are acting up, and my eyes are really itchy. My allergy is bad now, and my eyes itch a lot. Tip: Allergy pills are on open shelves; ask for a non-drowsy one. | ||
Your objective
Describe two symptoms and since when; when they suggest something you can’t take, ask for something else and how to take it.
- two symptoms
- asking for something else
- how to take it
Lines that get it done
- It's for my cough. Do I need a prescription for this? · It's for my cough. Can I buy it without a doctor's paper?
- How often should I take it? · How many times a day do I use this medicine?
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. What do you say to ask the pharmacist which medicine is best for your cold?
- What do you recommend for a cold?
- What do you recommend me a cold?
- What is your recommend for a cold?
- What do you prefer for my cold?
Show the answer
What do you recommend for a cold?
"What do you recommend for..." is the natural way to ask for advice about a problem.
2. The pharmacist says: "Take two every six hours." What does this mean?
- Take two pills, then wait six hours before the next two.
- Take one pill two times in six hours.
- Take two pills for six days.
- Take six pills two times a day.
Show the answer
Take two pills, then wait six hours before the next two.
"Every six hours" tells you how long to wait between doses.
3. Your nose is running and your eyes itch because of spring flowers. What do you say?
- My allergies are acting up.
- My allergies are acting on.
- I have allergy at the moment up.
- My allergies are making up.
Show the answer
My allergies are acting up.
"Acting up" means something is causing problems right now.