Most people won’t think about pharmacies until they really need one and when they do, they’ll need to know what’s available and what to look for.
The Green Cross Sign And Why It Matters
Pharmacies in Tenerife have a green cross sign outside that are usually lit up and called a farmacia, not a parafarmacia. A parafarmacia sells items like cosmetics, vitamins, baby products and mostly non medical items. They look very similar but are not the same thing and this often confuses people. If you walk into one expecting to get medication, you’ll likely leave empty handed.
The green cross pharmacies with the signs outside are the real ones. They’re staffed by qualified pharmacists, and honestly, the level of knowledge in a Spanish farmacia is very good. These aren’t just people behind a till. They’re trained to advise, and they will, even if your Spanish is non existent and their English is patchy. Point, mime, show them the packet of whatever you’ve run out of.
Opening Hours To Know About
Pharmacies in Tenerife usually open around 9am and close between 8pm and 10pm depending on location. If you’re in any of the main tourist areas, you’ll find that they sometimes stay open longer to accommodate tourists.
Some pharmacies still close for a couple of hours in the afternoon but it’s less common in the tourist areas now. If you find one closed at 2pm, you’ll have to wait for a couple of hours before they reopen at 4pm.
For out of hours emergencies, there’s always a farmacia de guardia, a pharmacy on duty overnight and on Sundays. The address of the nearest one is usually posted in the window of any closed pharmacy. You can also check Farmaten, which shows you which pharmacies are open right now, wherever you are on the island. I’ve used it. It’s straightforward.
What You Can Buy Without a Prescription
You can get a lot of things over the counter that you would normally associate with common use. Standard items like Ibuprofen, paracetamol, antihistamines, rehydration sachets, antifungal creams, thrush treatments, most travel sickness tablets, basic eye drops are readily available.
Antibiotics are a different matter. You need a prescription for those in Spain, full stop. Same goes for anything stronger than standard painkillers.
Now, this is the one that catches British tourists out more than anything else: co-codamol. It’s not available over the counter in Spain. At all. If you rely on it at home and you’ve run out, the pharmacy can’t just hand it to you. You’d need to see a doctor. Worth knowing before you travel, not after.
As for prices, you’ll find it very reasonable. A box of ibuprofen will cost you less than two euros. Antihistamines are cheap. If you’re used to UK pharmacy prices, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
If You’ve Run Out of Prescription Medication
If you’re from the UK, your NHS prescription isn’t valid in Spain. That’s just the reality. But a Spanish doctor can issue you a local prescription after a consultation, and private GP clinics in the tourist areas are set up for exactly this. You’ll pay for the appointment, usually somewhere between 40 and 80 euros, and then pay for the medication separately. It’s not free, but it’s not a disaster either.
Some medications that require a prescription in the UK are actually available over the counter in Spain, so it’s always worth asking the pharmacist first before you go down the GP route. They’ll tell you straight.
For a clear breakdown of how UK prescriptions work in Spain and what your options are, this piece from Euro Weekly News covers it well.
Children’s Medicine: The Calpol Question
Calpol isn’t a thing here. The brand doesn’t exist in Spain. But paracetamol syrup for children absolutely does, it’s just called something different. Ask for paracetamol infantil and show them your child’s age and weight if you can. The pharmacist will sort you out. Same goes for ibuprofen syrup.
If your child has a specific allergy or needs a particular formulation, bring what you have from home and show them the packet. They can usually find an equivalent or tell you honestly if they can’t.
A Few Useful Phrases (You Don’t Need to Be Fluent)
You really don’t need much Spanish to get by in a Tenerife pharmacy, especially in the south. But a few words go a long way, and pharmacists tend to respond warmly when you make the effort.
- Tengo dolor de cabeza — I have a headache
- Tengo fiebre — I have a fever
- Para niños — for children
- Sin receta — without a prescription
- ¿Tiene algo para…? — Do you have something for…?
And if all else fails, Google Translate with the camera function pointed at a packet works surprisingly well.
The North vs South Difference
I should mention this because it matters. The south of Tenerife, the resort strip, has pharmacies everywhere. You’re rarely more than a ten minute walk from one. The north is different. Towns outside the tourist resorts have pharmacies, but fewer of them, and the hours are less predictable.
If you’re staying somewhere rural or in a smaller village, it’s worth locating your nearest pharmacy on the first day, not when you need it at 7pm on a Sunday. That’s just common sense, but I’ve seen people learn it the hard way.
FAQs: The Questions People Actually Search For
Can I get antibiotics from a pharmacy in Tenerife without a prescription?
No. Antibiotics require a prescription in Spain. You’ll need to see a doctor first.
Are pharmacies in Tenerife open on Sundays?
Most aren’t, but there’s always at least one farmacia de guardia open in each area. Check the window of any closed pharmacy for the address, or use Farmaten online.
Can I use my UK prescription in a Tenerife pharmacy?
No. NHS prescriptions aren’t valid in Spain. You’d need a Spanish prescription from a local doctor.
Is paracetamol available over the counter in Tenerife?
Yes, easily. It’s cheap and you don’t need a prescription.
What’s the difference between a farmacia and a parafarmacia?
A farmacia is a proper pharmacy with a qualified pharmacist. A parafarmacia sells health and beauty products but can’t dispense medication. Look for the green cross.
Do Tenerife pharmacies speak English?
In the tourist areas, many do, or at least enough to help. In smaller towns, less so. Showing the packet of what you need usually bridges the gap.
One Last Thing
If you’re heading to Tenerife and you take regular medication, sort it out before you go. Bring more than you think you’ll need. Check whether your medication is available in Spain and whether it requires a prescription there, because the rules aren’t always the same as at home.
The pharmacies here are good. The pharmacists are helpful. But they can only work with what the system allows them to do, and finding that out on day three of your holiday is nobody’s idea of a good time.
