I’m currently on a biz trip to Germany that is lasting one week longer than anticipated. Today I noticed I was running dangerously low on one of my asthma medications. So, I’m going to pop to a local Apotheke in the morning to enquire about getting a new inhaler. Before I go (forewarned is forearmed after all):

1. How easy should this be in Germany for a visiting foreign national?
2. Will I need to visit a doctor and get a prescription?
3. Or is it typically possible to buy most drugs over the counter at whatever the cost?

Of course, if such things are difficult, I could always get my parents back home to FedEx me the spare I keep.

Regards
I

You should have no problem whatsoever. Just take whatever medicine you still have with you and show it to the pharmacist. The brand you might be used to. might not be on hand but all pharmacies have the books that list almost any medication produced worldwide. If your brand is not available he'll be able to provide you with its exact equivalent.
Remember that Germany produces or has invented at least 50% of the medications used in the US and produced under license.
In some large cities there are so-called international "Apotheken" try to localize one of them.

it all depends on what you need. they will sell to anyone provided that it is non-prescription. be aware that some things that you can get over the counter in the uk require prescriptions in germany. there are chemists everywhere and some of them even take credit cards. the younger ones will also speak english.

if you need a prescription over the weekend you will either have to go to a hospital emergency room or call a "notarzt". fees will be payable in cash.

where are you in germany, i might be able to help...

Thanks very much for the quick response.

My current location is Nürnberg (Nuremberg).

Some medications are available over the counter in the UK but require a prescription in Germany.

Some medications are available over the counter in Germany but require a prescription in the UK.

The only way to find out whether or not you can get your medication over the counter is to ask a pharmacist... and it would probably be a good idea to do that first thing in the morning because (as you probably know) lots of places close early on Saturdays.

If your medication is not available over the counter then I'm sure the pharmacist will be able to advise you on how to go about getting a prescription. Medication that requires a prescription ("verschreibungspflichtig") can't be sold without one, but I don't think you have anything to worry about, the pharmacist will be able to tell you what you need to do.

If the medication includes cortisone (as most asthma sprays do), you will have trouble getting it without a prescription. The pharmacy may sell it to you if you promise to bring in a prescription on Monday.

N.B. - For anyone having the same problem in Spain -- it is much less complicated. Almost all medications are available without prescription and, usually, at a fraction of the prices in Germany or the U.S. (My asthma spray costs approx. 12 Euros in Germany, and less than 3 Euros on Tenerife.)

Thanks again for all the advice. I walked to a local pharmacy this morning, gave the pharmacist my salbutamol inhaler and asked the direct question "could I buy one of these?"

The answer was yes. The cost was a little under 15 euros and, more importantly, no having to go to a doctor, explain myself, fill in forms and so on.

Regards
I