Hi everyone, I’m new to the forum. Seeing everyone chatting about all sorts of daily life topics, I thought I’d join in. I wonder if anyone else has had the same feeling when visiting a farmacia lately—that it’s so much easier to buy things now! Thinking back to two years ago, it was hard to find even hand sanitizer, let alone masks. It really feels like a world away.
Masks and Antigen Tests: From “Luxury” to “Everyday Items”
Nowadays, you can walk into almost any pharmacy and find stacks of various masks and antigen test kits right at the entrance. The prices have also dropped repeatedly; FFP2 masks have gone from four or five euros each in the early days to now often being found for one or two euros, or even less. It’s a similar story for antigen tests. Once a scarce item, they are now well-stocked in pharmacies, and the government has intervened multiple times to cap the maximum price, which is a real benefit for us.
Supply of Common Medicines
Besides these pandemic-related supplies, what most people are concerned about—apart from broader topics like Spanish healthcare or the history of Spanish healthcare—is likely the availability of common medicines. For a while, even common cold and pain medications were out of stock. For example, it was hard to find high-dose Ibuprofeno or Paracetamol, even after checking several pharmacies. However, based on my recent observations, this situation has greatly improved. Here’s what I’ve noticed about the price and availability of some common over-the-counter drugs, just for reference. Note that availability of Spanish medical supplies can vary by region and pharmacy.
| Type of Medicine | Common Brands | Availability | Approx. Price |
|---|
| Pain/Fever Relief | Paracetamol, Ibuprofeno | Generally sufficient | €4-7 / box |
| Cold/Flu | Frenadol, Gelocatil Gripe | Stable supply | €8-12 / box |
| Cough/Expectorant | Mucosan, Bisolvon | Generally sufficient | €7-10 / bottle |
| Anti-allergy | Loratadina, Cetirizina | Stable supply | €5-9 / box |
A Little Personal Advice
After being put to the test, Spain’s medical supply production and supply chain have recovered well. Most daily necessities are now easily accessible at reasonable prices. However, I personally still like to keep a small first-aid kit at home with basic medicines, band-aids, disinfectant, and so on, just in case. After all, you never know if another special situation might arise, though I hope one never does. I’m curious about what everyone else’s “stockpile” looks like at home. Feel free to share your thoughts and tips!
