The first time you walk into a German Apotheke, you might be surprised. There are no shelves you browse freely. The medication is behind the counter. A pharmacist — a Apotheker or Apothekerin, who has a five-year pharmacy degree — hands you what you need after a brief conversation about your situation.
This is not inefficiency. German pharmacy practice is thorough, advice-driven, and genuinely helpful — but it requires you to explain what you need in German. The vocabulary below covers both sides of that counter: what you need to say, and what the labels say back.
The Basics
Apotheke — pharmacy. Marked by a red capital A (Apotheken-A). Not a drugstore and not a supermarket. For non-prescription medication (nicht verschreibungspflichtig), you can ask directly; for prescription medication (verschreibungspflichtig), you need a Rezept.
Apotheker/in — pharmacist.
Rezept — prescription. Issued by your doctor. Two types:
- Kassenrezept — a prescription covered by public health insurance (usually printed on a pink form). You pay a co-payment (Zuzahlung) of €5–10, regardless of the medication's actual cost.
- Privatrezept — a private prescription (blue or white form). You pay the full cost and claim reimbursement from your private insurer.
Selbstzahler — someone who pays out of pocket, without insurance covering the cost.
Zuzahlung — the co-payment required for prescription medications under public insurance.
Generikum — a generic medication. Chemically equivalent to a brand-name drug (Originalpräparat) but cheaper. The pharmacist is often required to dispense the cheapest equivalent under public insurance unless your doctor specified "aut idem" exclusion on the prescription.
What to Ask For
Ich habe ein Rezept. — I have a prescription.
Haben Sie etwas gegen...? — Do you have something for...?
- Kopfschmerzen — headaches
- Halsschmerzen — sore throat
- Husten — cough
- Schnupfen — runny nose / cold
- Fieber — fever
- Magenschmerzen — stomach pain
- Übelkeit — nausea
- Schlaflosigkeit — insomnia
- Allergien — allergies
- Blasenentzündung — urinary tract infection
Ich suche etwas für... — I'm looking for something for...
Ich habe eine Erkältung. — I have a cold.
Ich bin schwanger / stille gerade. — I am pregnant / I am breastfeeding. (Both affect which medications are safe — always mention this.)
Ich nehme bereits [Medikament]. — I'm already taking [medication]. (Drug interactions are the pharmacist's speciality — always mention other medications.)
Ich bin allergisch gegen [Stoff]. — I am allergic to [substance].
Reading the Label
German medication labels are dense. Here's what the key terms mean:
Dosierung — dosage.
Einnahme — intake/administration. Look for:
- morgens — in the morning
- mittags — at midday
- abends — in the evening
- nüchtern — on an empty stomach
- zum Essen — with food
- nach dem Essen — after eating
- vor dem Schlafen — before sleeping
- bei Bedarf — as needed
Tablette — tablet. Kapsel — capsule. Zäpfchen — suppository. Tropfen — drops. Salbe — ointment. Creme — cream. Spray — spray. Sirup — syrup.
Tagesdosis — daily dose.
Maximale Tagesdosis — maximum daily dose.
Nicht überschreiten — do not exceed.
Packungsbeilage — the package insert / leaflet inside the box. Contains the full list of ingredients, contraindications, and side effects. Dense reading, but worth knowing the term.
Nebenwirkungen — side effects.
Wechselwirkungen — drug interactions.
Gegenanzeigen / Kontraindikationen — contraindications.
Haltbarkeitsdatum — expiry date. Also: Verfallsdatum.
Kühl lagern — store in a cool place.
Nicht einfrieren — do not freeze.
Von Kindern fernhalten — keep away from children.
Verschreibungspflichtig — prescription-only. Do not expect to buy this over the counter.
Rezeptfrei — over-the-counter (no prescription needed).
Apothekenpflichtig — sold only in a pharmacy (not in supermarkets), but without a prescription.
Practical Notes
Many medications available over-the-counter in the UK, US, or Australia require a prescription in Germany. This includes certain sleeping aids, high-dose ibuprofen, and specific antibiotics. Don't assume that what you could buy freely at home is available the same way here.
German pharmacies operate a Notdienst — an on-call out-of-hours service. If you need medication outside normal opening hours, look for the rotating duty pharmacy (Notdienstapotheke) in your area via apothekennotdienst.de or the sign on any closed pharmacy's door.
Medical vocabulary in any language is most useful when you've built it before you're sick. The pharmacy is one of the most frequent medical encounters of expat life — worth adding to your vocabulary list early.
Reading a German medication label shouldn't require a dictionary. Vokabulo helps you build the medical vocabulary you need, in German and over 100 other languages. Available on iPhone and iPad.
