96744
What is the difference between a [薬屋]{くすりや}, a [薬局]{やっきょく}, and a ドラッグストアー?

Can we purchase the same things in a 薬屋 or a 薬局 or a ドラッグストアー?

Which of these items are commonly carried in the different types of shops?

  * prescription drugs
  * over-the-counter drugs
  * supplements and vitamins
  * first aid (bandages, bandaids/plasters)
  * hygiene products (like mouthwash and toothpaste etc.)

The list above is not exhaustive. What items may you find in one kind of shop
that you will not find in the other? Or are they generally the same? Or do
different regions in Japan have a different dominant choice of word for them?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-19T04:18:00.150
96741
2022-10-20T01:22:55.460
2022-10-19T09:47:32.267
542
542
question
word-choice synonyms
What can you see or find at a 薬屋、薬局、ドラッグストアー respectively?
So, all in all, 薬屋 and ドラッグストアー tend to carry the same things. The wording is
more a matter of branding and local practice.

薬局 means pharmacy, and is more likely to be like a dispensary. They will often
carry the same things as those above, in smaller amounts but will also handle
prescription drugs more directly.

Basically, drugs stores will often have pharmacies, but stand alone pharmacies
are also common.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-19T05:12:11.673
96743
2022-10-19T05:12:11.673
26018
96741
answer
* **薬局** sell prescription drugs (処方薬) such as antihypertensives and diabetes pills. A more unambiguous term is 調剤薬局. Some of them also sell over-the-counter drugs (市販薬) that do not require a prescription from a doctor. Small prescription-only 薬局 are often found in a row in front of a large hospital (nicknamed 門前薬局). For example, [this street](https://goo.gl/maps/zQWkb5shtX6uPnx37) has eight (門前)薬局 in a row, and these are never called ドラッグストアー.
  * **ドラッグストアー** sell 市販薬, and they also deal in thermometers, plasters, supplements, protein powder, toilet paper, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, detergent, diapers, cheap cosmetics, etc. Larger ones sell various types of food and bevarage, too. If I understand correctly, this is pretty much the same as drugstores in USA.
  * **薬屋** is no longer common in modern Japan, at least in urban areas. Older people in rural areas who are not familiar with the word ドラッグストアー may still use 薬屋, but I personally see or hear this word mainly in samurai dramas and fantasy works.

However, confusingly, some ドラッグストアー are named like ○○薬局 (e.g.
[スギ薬局](https://www.sugi-net.jp/) and [ウェルシア薬局](https://www.welcia-
yakkyoku.co.jp/)) even if they do not handle prescriptions. This is why the
longer term 調剤薬局 is sometimes necessary to disambiguate.

Besides, some ドラッグストアー do handle prescription drugs, too (called
調剤併設型ドラッグストア), and the number of such hybrid stores is increasing. In such
cases, there is a big sign that says "処方せん(受付)" or "調剤受付" in the storefront,
so you can tell if a drugstore has a 調剤薬局 function by looking for this sign
([example](https://goo.gl/maps/tUpCwNY8s3P2zuG16)).
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-19T05:14:31.350
96744
2022-10-20T01:22:55.460
2022-10-20T01:22:55.460
542
5010
96741
answer