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) | (no single equivalent) | 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 and only a limited range of non-pharmacy-only (freiverkäufliche) medicines (pharmacy-only medicines 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: October 2026.