Non-prescription drugs may soon be in your supermarkets
Yes, you’ve noticed then? No sex or rock’n roll available – but it got your attention! 
At present, only pharmacies are allowed to sell over-the-counter, non-prescription drugs, so you will not find paracetemol or haemorrhoid cream at your local corner shop or supermarket. However, a new recommendation by the IGF (General Inspectorate of Finance) suggests that such drugs should be available in large supermarkets, breaking the present monopoly, increasing competition, and thus keeping prices down. There is no state reimbursement for over the counter drugs, unless they have been prescribed by a doctor.
Some ‘chemist only’ products have ‘drug’ status, and therefore can only be sold in pharmacies. An example used by Minister of Health, Marisol Touraine, was Fluocaril toothpaste!
