Hi everyone! I will be in Taipei all summer for study and just realized that I packed an EMPTY birth control pill pack on accident, making my supply about 20 days short. I’ve read on here that most pharmacies in Taipei sell birth control over the counter without any prescription. I am a little nervous about walking into a pharmacy and asking about it, being from America where everything requires a prescription. Is there anything I should know about before buying oral contraceptives at a pharmacy here? Does anyone know how to say “oral contraceptive” in Chinese? I hear that the brands they offer here are different than those offered in the States. Does anyone have any experiences with a brand that they like here? Any help/advice/support would be much appreciated. So nervous about this for some reason!
Yes, oral contraceptives are available over the counter. In most pharmacies someone speaks English, worst case they are happy to use Google translate to understand what you want. Many brands are the same as at least in Europe. But you also get older types of pills here, that are “out of fashion” in the west (Yasmin, anyone?)
Here is more information:
Yes I used to take them and they are super easy to get. The most common seems to be Yasmin and it runs at about 250 ntd max ( 8.5 USD). No need for prescription, you just walk in and show them a picture of the pac ( you can find it on google) and they will know what to give you. You can even buy multiple packs all at once ( I did that before) in fact they will ask you how many pacs you want so you won’t have to go back the next month.
I’d suggest to bring your birth control to show them so they will know what alternatives to give you !
Yes but they might not have the kind you take. So be prepare to have to change and experience sides.
Go to Shanghai Pharmacy, close to the Presidential Office. Largest and most affordable variety.
Shanghai Union Dispensary
No. 32, Hengyang Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, 100
02 2311 6644
https://goo.gl/maps/oq8nMrtKQBN2
Moreover, if you want an expert opinion, doctor or hospital visits are still affordable even if you do not have BIG - national health insurance card. 600 NTD tops will get you an exam and prescription included.
Great! Thank you for the information!
Thank you so much! It is amazing that Taiwan has such affordable health care.
Are birth control patches illegal here or something? 