There are some major differences between American drugstores and European pharmacies. I will use Walgreens as an example.
- In Europe, pharmacies sell two things. Drugs and beauty products. Not cosmetics, beauty products like lotions and sunscreen and cellulite reducing creams. Walgreens sells so many things they have labeled aisles like at the grocery stores, so that you can find "seasonal items", "cold remedies", and "school supplies" with ease. They sell so much crap, it is easy to forget what you went in there for, and if you leave with Barbie Pop Tarts and a talking fish, it's not really a surprise.
- Over-the-counter medicines in America are on shelves just like everything else. So you spend hours trying to figure out which of the 15 kinds of cough syrup to take. In Europe, you immediately go to the counter where the pharmacist is waiting to talk to you, tell them what is wrong, and they immediately pull out the appropriate products (no prescription needed) to fix your problem. They would never assume that you have the capability to self-medicate.
- European pharmacies are clean and beautiful. Like a mini high-end department store. I have yet to see a Walgreens without crap falling off of the shelves, and so many things on the front counter that you barely have room to put down your actual purchases. And because it's one-stop shopping (hey, slippers! 20-packs of batteries! An inflatable pool!), the lines are always excruciatingly long. Waiting for a prescription is the worst. I am surprised more people haven't died waiting in line for their pills.
- Pharmacists in Europe all seem to be good-looking. Like Elizabeth Shue in "The Saint". Maybe they are another species, I don't know. They also seem to care what happens to you and take pride in their recommendations. My local pharmacist in San Francisco has a hair growing out of his chin that is longer than the hair on my head. It scares me.
