Pharmacies, medicine and hospitals in China: what visitors need to know

Where can you buy medicine in China?

Go to a pharmacy: look for the characters 药店 (yàodiàn), 药房 (yàofáng) or 大药房 (dà yàofáng), usually with a green cross. Chain pharmacies are on most city streets and in many malls and stations, and some are open 24 hours (24小时). Your hotel front desk can point you to the nearest one. Staff rarely speak much English, so show the box of what you use at home or a photo of it, and know the generic name (active ingredient) rather than the brand, since brand names differ between countries.

Chinese pharmacies sell both Western medicine (西药, xīyào) and traditional Chinese medicine (中药, zhōngyào), often side by side. If you want a Western medicine, say so, and tell the pharmacist about anything else you take. The pharmacy lesson has these phrases with audio, and the Chinese for Travel app keeps them ready to show staff.

What medicine can you buy without a prescription in China?

China separates over-the-counter (OTC) from prescription medicines. OTC boxes carry an oval “OTC” logo: red for Class A, sold only in pharmacies with a licensed pharmacist, and green for Class B, which approved general stores may also sell (China Daily, NMPA rules). Prescription medicines (处方药, chǔfāngyào), including antibiotics, legally need a prescription from a licensed doctor, so a pharmacy should not sell them to you without one.

Some cold remedies containing ephedrine-type ingredients are kept behind the counter, and pharmacies record the buyer’s ID and limit how many packs you can buy at once (2012 regulator notice), so carry your passport. For anything beyond a minor complaint, or if you don’t improve, ask a pharmacist or see a doctor.

Can you bring your own medicine into China?

Yes, within limits. As of October 2026, Shanghai Customs’ guidance is that medicines without narcotic or psychotropic ingredients may be carried in reasonable quantities for personal use, subject to customs checks. There is no fixed number of days or boxes; officers judge what is reasonable for your trip (Shanghai government).

Narcotic and psychotropic medicines are controlled. The same guidance allows Category I medicines up to the maximum quantity on a single prescription, carried with a medical diagnosis certificate from a medical institution and your passport, and asks travelers to declare them to customs; for Category II, bring prescriptions or medical records (Shanghai government, Chongqing government). Some ADHD, strong pain, sleep and anxiety medicines can fall into these groups. China’s classification may differ from your country’s, so if you’re unsure, ask the Chinese embassy or consulate before you travel. The customs lesson covers what officers ask and how to answer.

1. Check before you bookAsk your doctor whether any of your medicines are controlled, and confirm with the Chinese embassy or consulate if they might be.
2. Get a doctor’s letterIt should list your condition and each medicine by generic name and dose. For controlled medicines, bring a diagnosis certificate from your clinic or hospital.
3. Pack it in your carry-onKeep medicines in their original labeled packaging with a copy of the prescription, plus a few days’ spare.
4. Declare when in doubtUse the red “goods to declare” channel for controlled medicines or if you’re not sure, and show your documents.
5. Keep the papers with youYou may need them again at the pharmacy, at a hospital or when you leave.

Should you go to a hospital or an international clinic?

Family doctor (GP) clinics are uncommon in China, so people go to hospital outpatient departments even for routine problems. Big public hospitals are well equipped but crowded, and most staff speak only Chinese. Many large hospitals in major cities run an international department (国际医疗部, guójì yīliáo bù) with English-speaking staff, and private international hospitals and clinics operate in the biggest cities, at much higher prices.

To find one, Beijing’s government publishes a medical guide for foreigners listing hospitals with international departments, and the UK government keeps a list of hospitals in China with some English-speaking staff. Your travel insurer’s assistance line can also recommend a hospital.

How does hospital registration (挂号) work in China?

Chinese hospitals work in a fixed order: register (挂号, guàhào), see the doctor, pay for whatever the doctor orders, then do the tests or collect the medicine (National Health Commission).

1. Book or registerBook through the hospital’s WeChat or Alipay mini program or app, where many hospitals let you register with a passport number, or go to the registration window (挂号处, guàhàochù) with your passport. In Beijing, the city’s 114 booking platform has an English mode for foreign patients.
2. Pick the departmentIf you don’t know which department you need, ask at the information or triage desk (导诊台, dǎozhěntái). Internal medicine is 内科 (nèikē) and surgery is 外科 (wàikē).
3. Keep your patient cardFirst-time patients get a hospital card, or an electronic one in the app. It is used for every payment, test and later visit.
4. Wait for your numberScreens outside the consulting rooms show the queue. Have a written list of your symptoms, medicines and allergies ready; consultations are often short.
5. Pay, then testPay for tests or medicine (缴费, jiǎofèi) at a window, a kiosk or in the app, then go for tests. If results take until another day, you may need to register again to see the doctor.
6. Collect medicine and papersPick up medicine at the hospital pharmacy (药房, yàofáng), and ask for receipts (发票, fāpiào) and your medical record (病历, bìnglì) for your insurer.

Practice them in the illness and doctor lesson.

How do you pay for medical care in China, and will insurance cover it?

Healthcare in China isn’t free for visitors, and you pay as you go. Most hospitals take Alipay, WeChat Pay and cash; many don’t accept foreign cards, though international departments often do (FCDO). Set up mobile payment before the trip using the Alipay and WeChat Pay guide. If you are admitted, expect to pay a deposit first; the UK government cites deposits of 3,000–7,000 yuan, with unused money refunded when you leave.

Get travel insurance that covers medical treatment and evacuation, which the UK government and the CDC both recommend. Many public hospitals won’t bill a foreign travel insurer directly, so you pay and claim afterward with your receipts and records. International departments and private hospitals bill some insurers directly; Beijing’s guide notes that patients with high-end commercial insurance can show their insurance card and passport so the hospital settles with the insurer. Call your insurer’s assistance line before non-urgent treatment.

What should you do in a medical emergency in China?

Call 120 for an ambulance (FCDO); in Beijing, 999 also reaches an emergency medical service. Ambulances charge a fee. Say 请叫救护车 (“Please call an ambulance”) to anyone nearby, and ask hotel staff to call and give your location in Chinese; an address card helps, and the emergency help lesson has the key calls for help. Large hospitals have emergency departments (急诊) open around the clock. Once you’re safe, contact your insurer, and your embassy or consulate if it’s serious. The emergency numbers guide has more.