Most everyday medicines in Vietnam are sold over the counter, and three chains, Long Chau, Pharmacity and An Khang, cover most of the modern pharmacy market. A paracetamol tablet costs under 600 ₫ at both big chains, while antibiotics and other prescription-only drugs need a doctor’s note by law.
I have run visas and border runs for Russians in Vietnam since 2023, and “where do I buy my usual remedy here” is a question every long-stay newcomer ends up asking. The prices below come from the chains’ own websites on 15 October 2026, and the methodology section lists what I could not confirm.
Which pharmacy chains should you use in Vietnam?
Use Long Chau, Pharmacity or An Khang. Together they hold about 90% of the modern chain market, which counts more than 3,000 outlets next to roughly 60,000 pharmacies in total. Long Chau is the largest with around 2,600 shops, Pharmacity has about 1,000 and An Khang several hundred.
The Long Chau website shows its shops by city and states daily hours of 6:00-23:00 for Da Nang and Khanh Hoa, with the exact hours depending on the shop. Pharmacity runs a separate list of 24-hour pharmacies.
Where can you find a 24-hour pharmacy in Da Nang and Nha Trang?
Pharmacity lists two 24-hour shops in each city: 186 Le Duan and 189 Nguyen Van Thoai in Da Nang, and 59 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and 154 Hung Vuong in Nha Trang. The list carries no update date, so confirm the shop’s hours on Google Maps before a night trip.
Long Chau pages state 6:00-23:00, so for a purchase after that hour pick a shop from the Pharmacity list.
Which brands replace your usual medicines, and what do they cost?
Hapacol 650 is the everyday paracetamol, and one tablet costs 572 ₫ at both Long Chau and Pharmacity. Smecta, Oresol and Imodium cover diarrhoea and dehydration. The table lists the brands I confirmed on the chains’ websites on 15 October 2026, with the active substance so a pharmacist can match it.
| Use | Active substance | Brand in Vietnamese pharmacies | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fever, pain | paracetamol 650 mg | Hapacol 650 (DHG) | tablet | 572 ₫ |
| Diarrhoea | diosmectite | Smecta (Ipsen) | sachet | 5,100 ₫ |
| Dehydration | oral rehydration salts | Oresol 245 | sachet | 1,350-1,500 ₫ |
| Diarrhoea, quick relief | loperamide 2 mg | Imodium | capsule | 2,800 ₫ |
Dissolve one Oresol sachet in 200 ml of boiled, cooled water. Other familiar products are sold too: Efferalgan 500 mg effervescent (paracetamol, UPSA), Panadol, No-Spa 40 mg (drotaverine, Sanofi) for cramps and Nurofen 200 mg (ibuprofen). I did not confirm prices for these, so read them off the chain’s website or the shelf.
For anything else, such as pancreatic enzymes, antihistamines or throat sprays, I could not verify which brands are sold.
Can you bring your own medicine into Vietnam?
Yes, for personal use and within limits. Without a licence you may carry narcotic painkillers for no more than 7 days and psychotropic drugs or drugs with precursors for no more than 10 days, with a doctor’s prescription and a customs declaration. The Vietnamese embassy in Australia publishes the rules on an undated page, so confirm them before you fly.
Those limits make a six-month stock impossible for anyone on a long course of treatment, so the plan needs a refill route in Vietnam, and it breaks if your visa lapses mid-course: an overstay brings a fine and trouble at your next entry. The e‑visa form on the government portal is public, but the portal rejects many foreign bank cards, so the fee cannot always be paid. This is where I step in. At BestBus Vietnam I pay the fee with my own card, choose the right entry point and refile for free with a refund if the visa is refused. Send me the date your visa ends and I will tell you what fits.
Can you buy antibiotics without a prescription in Vietnam?
No, the law requires a prescription for antibiotics and other prescription-only drugs. Decree 90/2026/ND-CP, in force since 15 May 2026, sets fines of 10-20 million ₫ for a pharmacy that sells them without a doctor’s prescription, twice the earlier amount, as Vietnam News reported.
In practice, small independent pharmacies have long sold antibiotics without a note, while the city chains ask for a prescription more often. That gap is shrinking as inspections tighten, so do not plan around it. Self-prescribing a course also risks the wrong drug or dose. If you need a prescription, see a doctor first; my guide to walk-in clinics in Da Nang lists where foreigners go.
How do you ask for a medicine in Vietnamese?
Write the active substance on your phone or show a photo of the box. A pharmacy is a nhà thuốc or hiệu thuốc, thuốc kháng sinh means antibiotic, thuốc giảm đau and hạ sốt mean painkiller and fever reducer, and thuốc tiêu chảy means diarrhoea medicine. Searching Google Maps for nhà thuốc finds the nearest shop.
Checklist for your first pharmacy visit
For everyday fever, pain and stomach trouble, buy paracetamol, Smecta, Oresol or Imodium at Long Chau or Pharmacity and write the active substance on your phone. Take a Pharmacity shop from its 24-hour list for night purchases, expect to be asked for a prescription for antibiotics, and carry personal medicine only within the 7 and 10-day limits. Serious symptoms belong with a hospital.
You can handle all of this alone: the chains, the brand names and the e‑visa form are public. What goes wrong is the calendar, a visa that ends before your stay plan does. If you would rather not track the days, write to me on WhatsApp and I will count them with you.
Methodology: Where These Numbers Come From
Prices for Hapacol 650 and Smecta come from the product pages of Long Chau and Pharmacity on 15 October 2026. The Oresol range comes from the same chains’ search listings, so check it on the shelf, and Imodium is Pharmacity’s price for a blister of four capsules, which gives 2,800 ₫ a capsule. I show prices in dong because that is what the chains display, and I did not convert them to dollars.
Chain sizes come from Vietnamese business media for the second quarter of 2026, with the market share from 2025 industry data. Hours come from the chains’ own pages. The fine amounts come from Decree 90/2026 as reported by Vietnam News, and the import limits from the Vietnamese embassy page named above.
I did not collect antibiotic prices on purpose. I could not confirm whether pharmacies ask for ID, how delivery apps work for foreign numbers, or which brands exist for pancreatic enzymes and antihistamines.
Frequently asked questions
What if the pharmacist asks for a prescription and I do not have one?
Ask for an over-the-counter alternative with the same effect, or get a prescription at a clinic. The fine for an illegal sale falls on the pharmacy, which is why chain staff refuse.
Are there 24-hour pharmacies in Ho Chi Minh City?
Yes, Pharmacity lists dozens, including 327 Pham Ngu Lao and 97 Hai Ba Trung in District 1. The list has no update date, so check the hours on Google Maps first.
What should the box show when I bring my own medicine?
The packaging should show the name, the active substance, the dose and the expiry date, and you should carry the doctor’s prescription. Amounts above the personal limits need a declaration at the port of entry, and customs decides.
How do I avoid fake medicine?
Buy from chain shops, keep the receipt, and check that the packaging is sealed and the expiry date is clear. I have no verified statistics on counterfeits in Vietnam, so this is general caution.
