Medicines you can buy without a prescription
Minor symptoms can be treated with medicine bought without a prescription. But if a few days bring no improvement, see a doctor.
Available at a pharmacy without a prescription
- Fever and pain relief
- Cold and cough medicine
- Digestives and stomach medicine
- Anti-diarrhoeal, laxatives
- Antiseptic, plasters, ointment
- Pain patches, muscle rubs
- Antihistamines
- Artificial tears
Available at convenience stores
Certain designated safety medicines are sold at 24-hour convenience stores — fever and pain relief, cold medicine, digestives, pain patches and a few others.
Steps
- Go to a pharmacy.
- Describe your symptom. "머리가 아파요" (headache), "배가 아파요" (stomach ache), "열이 나요" (fever).
- The pharmacist chooses a suitable medicine.
- Confirm how to take it.
Korean you can use at the pharmacy
- "머리가 아파요" — headache
- "배가 아파요" — stomach ache
- "열이 나요" — fever
- "기침이 나요" — cough
- "콧물이 나요" — runny nose
- "소화가 안 돼요" — indigestion
- "설사를 해요" — diarrhoea
- "임신 중이에요" — I am pregnant
Where to go
- A nearby pharmacy · a 24-hour convenience store
- Late-night pharmacies www.e-gen.or.kr
- 1339 KDCA
Questions people ask
How long can I take it? Do not exceed the period on the packaging. Generally, if a few days bring no improvement, see a doctor.
Can I take it while pregnant? Always tell the pharmacist you are pregnant. Some medicines must not be taken.
Can I take medicine I brought from home? Overlapping ingredients are dangerous. Show it to the pharmacist and ask. Some ingredients are banned from import.
Take care
Medicine sold on the internet or social media is dangerous — it may be counterfeit or contain banned ingredients. Always buy from a pharmacy or convenience store.
Related
pharmacy-use · medicine-safety · hospital-system-overview
Source
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety www.mfds.go.kr / As of 2026-08