Medical & Pharmacy guide
What to Do If You Need a Pharmacy or Doctor in China
A practical guide for travelers who need a pharmacy, clinic, hospital, doctor, emergency care, medicine, or insurance support in China.
This guide is not medical advice and does not diagnose symptoms. In urgent or severe cases, seek qualified medical care immediately.
Quick answer
Use 120 for emergencies, bring passport and insurance, and carry concise symptom and allergy cards.
Use this practical sequence to prepare, act, and recover if the normal plan does not work:
- For life-threatening symptoms or serious injury, call 120 or ask hotel staff to call emergency medical help.
- For non-urgent symptoms, ask hotel staff or your insurer for a nearby hospital, international clinic, or pharmacy.
- Carry your passport, insurance details, current medication names, allergies, and diagnosis history.
- Use generic medicine names rather than only brand names when possible.
Applies to travelers who become sick or need medicine in china, visitors deciding between pharmacy, clinic, hospital, emergency room, or ambulance, travelers carrying prescriptions or travel insurance.
Key facts
For life-threatening symptoms or serious injury, call 120 or ask hotel staff to call emergency medical help.
Show the generic name, active ingredient, dosage, and prescription if you have it.
Call 120, go to an emergency department, or ask hotel staff to call medical help.
Request printed or electronic medical documents before leaving the facility.
Mild travel needs may start at pharmacies.
Serious symptoms require professional medical help.
Step-by-step plan
- 01
For life-threatening symptoms or serious injury, call 120 or ask hotel staff to call emergency medical help.
- 02
For non-urgent symptoms, ask hotel staff or your insurer for a nearby hospital, international clinic, or pharmacy.
- 03
Carry your passport, insurance details, current medication names, allergies, and diagnosis history.
- 04
Use generic medicine names rather than only brand names when possible.
- 05
Ask for written dosage instructions and confirm whether the medicine causes drowsiness or food interactions.
- 06
Keep receipts, diagnosis notes, and invoices for insurance claims.
- 07
Contact your embassy or consulate for passport loss, detention, or serious emergency support, but use medical services for medical care.
When the normal plan fails
A pharmacy does not recognize my medicine brand.
Show the generic name, active ingredient, dosage, and prescription if you have it.
I do not know whether it is an emergency.
Call 120, go to an emergency department, or ask hotel staff to call medical help.
Insurance asks for documents later.
Request printed or electronic medical documents before leaving the facility.
Practical details
Source cross-check
This answer was checked against National Health Commission: Medical insurance notes for foreigners and State Council: 12345 hotline coordination with 110, 119, 120 and 122. A third source, International Services Shanghai: What to do in an emergency, was used where the answer depends on implementation detail or traveler-facing handling. Where sources use different scope or dates, the guide follows the current official or most directly authoritative source and keeps platform or traveler-facing material as implementation context only.
Phrase cards
Hotel, pharmacy, or street
English
Ask for pharmacy or doctor help.
中文
您好，我身体不舒服。请问附近有药店或医院吗？
Medical emergency
English
Ask someone to call 120 for medical emergency.
中文
您好，这是紧急情况。请帮我拨打120，我需要医疗帮助。
Clinic or hospital
English
Ask a hospital or clinic for documents for insurance.
中文
您好，请问可以给我诊断证明、收据和费用明细，用于保险报销吗？
FAQ
- What number should I call for ambulance?
- Use 120 for medical emergency or ambulance service in mainland China.
- Should I bring prescriptions?
- Yes. Bring prescriptions, generic medicine names, dosage, and allergy information.
- Will English be available?
- It varies. Major cities and international clinics are more likely to have English support, but you should carry short Chinese symptom cards.
Sources and review policy
- National Health Commission: Medical insurance notes for foreignersOfficial · checked Jun 28, 2026
- State Council: 12345 hotline coordination with 110, 119, 120 and 122Official · checked Jun 28, 2026
- International Services Shanghai: What to do in an emergencyOfficial · checked Jun 28, 2026
Visible guide facts must be supported by the page sources and rechecked before the next update date.
Plan the whole trip
Turn this answer into a China trip plan.
Peachspring Atlas turns practical guide decisions, timing, bookings, movement, and backup plans into a route you can actually use.