Job Discussion Forums

rap60 · Joined: 15 Jun 2010 Posts: 53 Location: Brisbane, Australia

start teaching in Weifang in a few weeks. i get the occasional sinisitus which needs antibiotics. I will bring a couple of courses of antibiotics with me but just wondered if anyone has any idea how easy it is to get similar antibiotics to those at home (Australia) am I safe to assume that antibiotics are freely available in China? sorry to sound ignorant, but on this subject I am.

Also does anyone know how I can book rail tickets from Shenzhen to Jinan safely on line?

Appreciate the help.

Rob

keeperofpythons · Joined: 28 Jan 2010 Posts: 152 Location: zhu san jiao

Unfortunately I cannot assist you with booking train tickets online, however I can assure you that most antibiotics are readily available for cheap prices. I haven't any clue what they would prescribe for sinusitis, but I can find penicillin (青霉素 - qing1 mei2 su4) and amoxicillin (阿莫西林 - a1 mo4 xi1 lin2) over the counter at pretty much any pharmacy.

rap60 · Joined: 15 Jun 2010 Posts: 53 Location: Brisbane, Australia

wow, over the counter, surely you dont mean without a prescription? (and amoxcyllin is the one I need, so that is good to know) and idea how much these items cost approx? thanks for your help

keeperofpythons · Joined: 28 Jan 2010 Posts: 152 Location: zhu san jiao

Laoshi1950 · Joined: 22 May 2004 Posts: 198 Location: Australia

If you are in Weifang, Shandong you should have very little problem buying Amoxycillin and Ampicillin across the counter in pharmacies there. It is often useful to have one of your students go with you, or to buy them for you. I have bought those antibiotics all over China during the past 10 years (Nanchang, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Beijing) without a prescription. Sometimes, here in Beijing, the pharmacies in the main shopping areas are reluctant to sell them to foreigners. However, that is usually during the regular "crack-downs" on pharmacies selling antibiotics over the counter without a prescription. But, even during those times, I have had my students easily able to buy the antibiotics when I needed them in the smaller pharmacies in the suburban areas.

rap60 · Joined: 15 Jun 2010 Posts: 53 Location: Brisbane, Australia

well it all sounds wondefully dodgy - can't wait. well $2 -$3 comapred to $18 a pop, i'm not sure I should even bother bringing a supply. Are western medicines in China (such as amoxycillin) called by there western names? or how would i communicate what i want?

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Many medicines will have their English name on one side of the box, Chinese on the other, esp. those made by "western" companies such as Pfizer. And yes, I go in to buy my diabetes medicine with no hassles whatsoever (and I have for years). Granted, I go to the exact same place so they know me by now. I remember once, about 3 years ago, they had me fill out my name and phone number on some official sort of sheet of paper but I've never seen anything like that since.

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

It'll be fine on both counts.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

seamallowance · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:52 pm Post subject:

All the Pharmacies have the antibiotics for cheap cheap. The problem is that the employee there will be not want to understand what you are asking for (because they have usually hired the uneducated, surly niece of the owner) so have someone at school first write it down in Chinese.

I managed to get "the nasal and lung mung" three times in six months. Of course, my part of China was competing for top honors in the "most polluted shitehole part of the country" competition.