Terminology
Multilingual terminology
Parapharmacy is a multilingual category. The same product or shop is named differently across European countries, and several superficially similar terms turn out to have different legal scope. This page is a translation reference for the principal terms used on the site.
Places
| English | Français | Italiano | Español | Português | Deutsch |
|---|
| Pharmacy | Pharmacie | Farmacia | Farmacia, Oficina de farmacia | Farmácia | Apotheke |
| Parapharmacy | Parapharmacie | Parafarmacia | Parafarmacia | Parafarmácia | (no direct equivalent; see notes) |
| Drugstore (general retailer) | (none; "droguerie" is something else) | (none) | (none) | (none) | Drogerie |
| Hospital pharmacy | Pharmacie à usage intérieur (PUI) | Farmacia ospedaliera | Farmacia hospitalaria | Farmácia hospitalar | Krankenhausapotheke |
Professions
| English | Français | Italiano | Español | Português | Deutsch |
|---|
| Pharmacist | Pharmacien / pharmacienne | Farmacista | Farmacéutico / farmacéutica | Farmacêutico / farmacêutica | Apotheker / Apothekerin |
| Pharmacy technician | Préparateur en pharmacie | Tecnico di farmacia | Técnico en farmacia | Técnico de farmácia | Pharmazeutisch-technische/r Assistent/in (PTA) |
| Pharmacy assistant | (general term) | Commesso / commessa di farmacia | Auxiliar de farmacia | Auxiliar de farmácia | Pharmazeutisch-kaufmännische/r Angestellte/r (PKA) |
Product categories
| English | Français | Italiano | Español | Português | Deutsch |
|---|
| Medicinal product / medicine | Médicament | Medicinale, farmaco | Medicamento | Medicamento | Arzneimittel |
| Prescription medicine | Médicament sur ordonnance / "liste" | Medicinale con obbligo di ricetta | Medicamento sujeto a prescripción médica | Medicamento sujeito a receita médica (MSRM) | Verschreibungspflichtiges Arzneimittel |
| Non-prescription medicine | Médicament conseil / OTC | SOP / OTC | EFP / Sin receta | MNSRM | Apothekenpflichtiges Arzneimittel (typically) |
| Cosmetic product | Produit cosmétique | Prodotto cosmetico | Producto cosmético | Produto cosmético | Kosmetisches Mittel |
| Food supplement | Complément alimentaire | Integratore alimentare | Complemento alimenticio | Suplemento alimentar | Nahrungsergänzungsmittel |
| Medical device | Dispositif médical | Dispositivo medico | Producto sanitario | Dispositivo médico | Medizinprodukt |
| Dermocosmetic | Dermocosmétique | Dermocosmetico | Dermocosmético | Dermocosmético | Dermokosmetik |
Regulatory bodies
| Country | Body | Scope (broad) |
|---|
| France | ANSM | Medicines, medical devices |
| France | DGCCRF / ANSES | Consumer protection / food safety (food supplements) |
| Italy | AIFA | Medicines |
| Italy | Ministero della Salute | Devices, cosmetics, supplements |
| Spain | AEMPS | Medicines, devices, cosmetics |
| Spain | AESAN | Food and food supplements |
| Portugal | INFARMED | Medicines, devices |
| Belgium | FAMHP / AFMPS / FAGG | Medicines, devices |
| Germany | BfArM, PEI, BVL | Medicines (BfArM/PEI), food and consumer products (BVL) |
| EU | EMA, EFSA, SCCS, European Commission (DG SANTE) | Medicines (EMA), food (EFSA), cosmetics safety (SCCS), policy (DG SANTE) |
False friends and traps
- English "drugstore" ≠ pharmacy. In American English, a drugstore is a general retailer that may include a pharmacy counter. The closest direct equivalent in continental Europe is the German Drogerie, which sells cosmetics, hygiene products and household items but not medicines (those are confined to the Apotheke). French droguerie is something different again: traditionally a shop selling cleaning and household chemicals, and now largely a hardware-store category.
- French "pharmacien" vs. English "pharmacist". Both terms refer to a fully qualified pharmacy professional. The role is regulated and harmonised at EU level by Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. The English "chemist" can refer either to the pharmacy itself (British usage) or to a person trained in chemistry (more general usage) — context-dependent.
- "Dermocosmetic" is not a regulated category. In all six languages, the word designates a marketing positioning, not a separate legal class. A dermocosmetic is a cosmetic product under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
- "Pharmaceutical" vs. "medicinal". "Medicinal product" is the EU legal term (Directive 2001/83/EC). "Pharmaceutical" in everyday usage often refers to anything pharmacy-related and is not a precise legal category.
- "OTC" is an English-language shorthand. National legal categories — France's "médicament conseil", Italy's SOP and OTC, Portugal's MNSRM, Spain's EFP, Germany's "apothekenpflichtig" — are specific and not interchangeable.
References & further reading
- Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications: eur-lex.europa.eu.
- European Commission, Health and Food Safety — for terminology used in EU regulatory communications: health.ec.europa.eu.
Last reviewed: May 2026.