Pharmacies in Alghero: who is open tonight, and what they can do for you
Italian pharmacies do more than hand over boxes. For anything minor, the pharmacist is the first stop rather than the doctor — and in a place where a GP appointment can take days, that difference matters.
The rota is the thing to learn first
Outside opening hours, one pharmacy in the area stays open — the farmacia di turno. The rota rotates weekly, covers nights, Sundays and public holidays, and is posted on the door of every pharmacy in town. In an emergency at 2 a.m., that door notice is what you need, so it is worth photographing the current rota once a week.
We publish the week's rota in the Monday edition, which saves the drive to read a sign.
What the counter can actually do
- Advice on minor ailments, often with a product you didn't know existed
- Blood pressure measurement, and in larger pharmacies simple blood tests
- Some vaccinations and health screenings, depending on the pharmacy
- Gluten-free and specialist foods — Italy runs part of the coeliac support through pharmacies
- Baby formula, dermocosmetics, orthopaedic supports
Words that get you what you need
- Ho mal di gola / mal di testa / mal di pancia — sore throat / headache / stomach ache
- Avete qualcosa senza ricetta? — do you have something without a prescription?
- Sono allergico a… — I'm allergic to…
- Mi serve la ricetta del medico? — do I need a doctor's prescription?
- Farmaco generico, per favore — the generic, please (cheaper, same substance)
Two practical notes
Prescriptions from your family doctor arrive electronically — you give your health card number and the pharmacist pulls it up. Keep the card in your wallet.
And bring the empty box of anything you take regularly. Brand names differ between countries; the active substance printed on the box is what the pharmacist needs to match it.