If you need a medical treatment in emergency, you must go to the Pronto Soccorso (Emergency department) at the nearest hospital.
Usually pharmacies are opened from 8.30am to 12.30pm and from 4pm to 8pm from Monday to Friday, and from 9am to 12pm on Saturday during summer. It varies a bit during winter.
Drugs and medicines
If you need prescription drugs or medicines, your family doctor will issue you with a prescription (ricetta), which you can then take to a pharmacy (farmacia).
Pharmacies in Italy are small family-run businesses and deal in medically-related items only. Pharmacies have the sign of a green or red cross on a white background and outside normal hours, at least one in every town or city will open late for emergency dispensing of drugs.
Some of the drugs are free, otherwise you will need to pay the full cost. If you take prescription drugs on a regular basis, you should ask your doctor in your home country for the generic name of the medicine as brands vary from country to country.
For more information:
The Informer
Update 27/08/2010
Expatriate health insurance in Italy
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