No candy aisle, no greeting card aisle, no sexual health or feminine hygiene products aisle. In fact, there was nothing that could even be called “an aisle.” Mexican pharmacies, or farmacias, may seem confusing or forbidding to those who haven’t visited one before. (Anastasiia Malai/Unsplash) For such a cramped space, it was incredibly confusing. I soon learned the ropes, and now, my fine readers, it is time to pass that knowledge on to you.

Here’s what to remember when it’s time to go to the pharmacy in Mexico. Not all pharmacies are created equal In my neck of the woods, we can divide pharmacies into three tiers. When I say “tiers,” by the way, I’m not necessarily referring to quality but to familiarity for those of us from the United States who are used to stores like Walgreens and CVS.

At the bottom is Farmacias Similares, which is a regional low-cost pharmacy chain stocked with cheap generic versions of many medicines. Many of these pharmacies also come with an attached consultorio (doctor’s office), where one can see a general doctor for minor illnesses like digestive or respiratory infections. The doctor will write you a prescription if one is warranted and recommend other medicines for your symptoms, which you can, of course, buy at the pharmacy.

The fee for seeing the doctor is symbolic (about 50 pesos, or close to US $3), and in most places, the pharmacy itself is countertop-style and pretty no-frills — meaning, there’s no “store” to walk into. You don’t browse the shelves; you ask an attendant to fetch the medicines you need. The supply of basic toiletries is fairly limited.

Farmacias Similares, by the way, is where you might find someone dressed up in a Dr. Simi mascot costume, a staple of modern Mexican culture. As far as I’m concerned, their medicines are just as good as any others, though I have had doctors tell me not to buy certain medicines there, so apparently, there are medical professionals out there who have their doubts, valid or not.

“It’s the same but cheaper” is the slogan at Farmacia Similares, which offers generic versions of name-brand medicines. (DogeGamer2015MZT /Wikimedia Commons) More pharmacy tiers The next tier would include chains like Farmacias del Ahorro and Yza, which may or may not come with an attached consultorio — Farmacias del Ahorro usually does, and theirs is free. At these pharmacies, there is a little “store” area with items you can pick up and examine, though these are restricted to a fairly small variety of toiletries and over-the-counter medicines. Condoms are mercifully available in this area now as well (you had to ask for them at the counter when I first arrived in Mexico).

On the shelves, you can also find things like nail clippers and lip balm, and maybe a few snacks and refrigerated drinks. A few different brands of baby formula and diapers are available behind the counter. Most independent pharmacies are similarly stocked.

Finally, there are the larger pharmacies like Farmacias Guadalajara and Farmacias San Pablo, which are the most similar in terms of selection to a place like CVS, though without as much variety; I’d include grocery store pharmacy sections in this tier as well. Medicines tend to be a little pricier, but if you need more specific toiletries or other things on the same trip that you might normally look for in a tiendita or grocery store, these pharmacies can be very convenient. Lastly, homeopathic pharmacies are in their own class, and there’s usually a homeopathic doctor available if you choose to go that route.

You don’t need a prescription for everything When I first arrived, you could ask for pretty much any kind of medication in pharmacies — including antibiotics — and staff would just sell it to you. That’s no longer true for antibiotics nor for stronger pain medications — more on that below. One notable area on this subject is birth control: In Mexico, you can simply ask a pharmacy for birth control pills (by brand, as there are many), as well as the morning-after pill, both without a prescription.

While abortion before 12 weeks of gestation is now officially legal at the federal level in Mexico, asking for the abortion pill (Mifepristone) may yield success on a case-by-case basis, depending on the pharmacist you are dealing with. A quick online search of local pharmacies makes it appear that this is completely possible, but seek the advice of a medical professional. This Mexico City farmacia boasts an elegantly simple sign to lure visitors. (Nahima Aparicio/Unsplash) What’s available and what’s not Other medicines you might be surprised to learn you don’t need a prescription for are psychiatric, like many SSRIs, a class of antidepressants used to treat depression and anxiety. Medicines that are known to be addictive, like stimulants, for example, are more tightly controlled and can still onl