There are several aspects of Spanish life that I find extremely inefficient and inconvenient, but the helpful and copious amounts of farmacias make up for it. Instead of rushing to your nearest Duane Reade or CVS to scan the aisles for ten minutes in search of that special form of Benadryl, Advil or Tylenol, you locate the big green cross nearest to you and inquire with a farmacist at the counter. You describe your symptoms if you are not positive what to get, "Tengo frio y me duele la cabeza, pero no el estomago..." or exactly what you need, "ibuprofeno." The farmacist says, "vale," "venga" or "momentito" and disappears into the racks of meds. Then seconds later he/she reappears with your medicine. I find this method of buying over the counter medication so much easier than in the US. When I stumble into Duane Read in New York sick as a dog, clearly needing assistance finding the right kind of mucinex or tylenol for my flu like symptoms, I finally find and ask an employee and they point in a vague direction and continue pricing or rearranging boxes. I then stand in front of the racks of meds for what seems like hours, practically delirious because everything looks the same and I most likely have a fever. Here I feel like I am at a doctors office and being recommended the correct medication for my illness. Just make sure you go before 2pm or after 5pm, as expected the farmacias are not opened during siesta.
