Episode 53: Inside a U.S. Pharmacy

[00:00:00] Welcome to English, please, the podcast where we explore interesting topics in under 10 minutes and clear, intermediate English. I’m your host, Christopher. I live in New York City, and I’ve always been passionate about languages and how we learn them. Whether you’re listening on your way to work or while cooking dinner at home, this show is designed to help you with your English listening and comprehension skills.

Thanks so much for being here. It’s been one of those weeks where I’ve been running errands constantly. I’ve been picking up packages, buying groceries, and doing all the small tasks that fill up your days. It made me think about how much time we spend shopping.

When I was [00:01:00] walking down the street in my neighborhood, I passed one of the many CVS pharmacies we have here in New York. CVS and Walgreens are two of the biggest pharmacy chains in the country, and you’ll find them on nearly every corner in most cities. As I walked past, I realized something: if you’ve never been to the United States, you might not understand what these pharmacies actually are. So today I want to talk about pharmacies in the U.S., and why they’re so different from what you might expect.

When you hear the word “pharmacy,” you probably think of a place where you buy medicine. You go in, pick up your prescription, maybe purchase some aspirin or bandages, and leave. In most countries, that’s exactly what a pharmacy is. It’s a small shop focused on health and medical [00:02:00] products.

But in the United States, pharmacies are much, much more than that.

Let me describe what you’ll find in a typical pharmacy in the United States. Yes, there’s a pharmacy counter in the back where you pick up prescription medicines. But the rest of the store? It’s like a small supermarket mixed with a department store.

You can buy food, including snacks, drinks, ice cream, soup, and even frozen meals. You can buy greeting cards for birthdays and holidays. You can buy cosmetics and beauty products like makeup, shampoo, skincare, and nail polish. You can buy cleaning supplies, light bulbs, brooms, batteries, phone chargers, beer and toys. During certain seasons, you’ll even find Halloween decorations, [00:03:00] Christmas lights, or Valentine’s Day chocolates.

Most pharmacies even have a photo center where you can print pictures from your phone. They also usually have a small section with fresh milk, yogurt, bread, and eggs, it’s honestly a bit overwhelming, especially if you’re just trying to buy medicine for a cold!

So why are pharmacies in the U.S. like this?

First, convenience. Many people in the U.S. like the idea of one stop shopping. Instead of going to multiple stores, you can pick up your prescription purchase milk, and buy a birthday card, all in one place. It saves time, especially in a culture where people are always busy.

Second, competition. Pharmacies compete with each other and with other stores. By selling so many [00:04:00] different products, they can keep customers coming back even when they don’t need to purchase medicine.

Third, shopping culture in general in the United States usually means bigger stores with more variety. This is true for grocery stores, department stores, and yes, pharmacies too.

Now, here are a few things that are surprising in a U.S. pharmacy for people who don’t live here. The pharmacy counter is usually at the back of the store. You have to walk through all the other products to get there, and this is intentional because the stores want you to buy something else while you’re there. Many pharmacies are open 24 hours, or at least have very long hours. You can pick up medicine at midnight if you need to! Some pharmacies even have drive through windows where you can pick up your [00:05:00] prescription without leaving your car, and that’s very American.

And here’s something that surprises many visitors: you don’t need a prescription to enter the pharmacy section. In many countries, you need to show a prescription just to go into a pharmacy. In the U.S. the store section is completely open to everyone. You only need a prescription to actually buy certain medicines at the counter.

If you’re interested in practicing more English related to shopping and everyday situations, Lesson 7 in my English Listening Accelerator is all about shopping. There’s a free sample at comullen.com/listen if you want to check it out!

Pharmacies in the U.S. can feel strange if you’re not used to them. They’re loud, bright, full of products, and much bigger than necessary for just buying medicine. But they’re an interesting part [00:06:00] of culture and everyday life in the United States.

Again, I’m Christopher and I want to invite you to join me in future episodes of English, please to hear about a variety of topics all focused on helping you with your English. Subscribe now wherever you listen, and let’s continue this adventure together in clear, understandable English.

Sincere thanks, as always, for listening.

See you soon!