Pharmacies in Rio: Medicines, Prescriptions & Care

Written and reviewed by Lotte — Rio local, founder & editor of PlanRio · How we research · Last reviewed 4 October 2026

For sunburn, a mosquito bite, a headache, an upset stomach, a hangover or a new tube of sunscreen, a Rio pharmacy (farmácia or drogaria) is usually easy to find. Chains carry familiar international brands alongside Brazilian products, but the branch, stock, hours and dispensing rules can differ. This guide helps you find an open store, explain what you need in Portuguese, and recognise when a pharmacist is not a substitute for a clinician.

Finding a pharmacy that is open

Common chains include Drogaria Pacheco, Drogaria Venancio, Drogaria Cristal, Droga Raia and Pague Menos. They are useful starting points, not a promise that every location carries the same products or keeps the same hours. A branch in a shopping centre may follow the centre's schedule, while some street branches trade late or around the clock.

• Find a Drogaria Pacheco store and confirm its displayed hours before you go.
• Find a Drogaria Venancio store; its locator can filter for 24-hour branches.
• For any chain, search the exact branch and check its own listing or call. A search result marked “open” can lag behind a holiday or temporary change.

Ask your hotel desk to point out a nearby open pharmacy if you are unwell or it is late; some hotels may also help arrange a clinician for a non-urgent concern, but ask about availability and fees before agreeing. If symptoms are urgent, go to medical care rather than making several pharmacy trips to find a particular brand.

How medicine names work in Brazil

Start with the generic or active ingredient rather than assuming a brand from home contains the same medicine. A product may combine several ingredients, use a different strength or come in a different form. The examples below are names you may encounter—not a treatment list, dose recommendation or claim that the products are interchangeable. Read the package and ask a pharmacist to confirm what is appropriate for you.

• Paracetamol / acetaminophen: you may see Tylenol, but check for combination ingredients. Dorflex is a combination product, not plain paracetamol.
• Ibuprofen: brands can include Advil, Alivium or Buscofem; confirm the ingredient and strength.
• Aspirin: ask for ácido acetilsalicílico or AAS. Avoid self-medicating with aspirin if dengue is possible; seek medical advice.
• Dipirona / metamizole: a common ingredient name in Brazil; check suitability, allergies and the package directions with a professional.
• Loperamide: Imosec and Diasec are names you may see for this ingredient; it is not suitable for every cause of diarrhoea.
• Heartburn products: Pepsamar and Estomazil are examples of local names. Ask which active ingredient they contain and whether it interacts with your medicines.
• Loratadine: Claritin or Loratamed may appear on shelves; ask for loratadina and verify the product.
• Oral rehydration: ask for sais para reidratação oral or soro de reidratação oral. Prefer a labelled product and follow its package mixing directions over an improvised recipe.
• Bug-bite creams: ask for help choosing a suitable product. Berlison and Stiefcortil are brand names you may encounter, but do not assume they have the same active ingredient, strength or use as a cream from home.
• Mosquito repellent: Repelex and Exposis have different product formulations. Check the active ingredient, age guidance and reapplication instructions on the exact bottle.
• Sunscreen: Sundown, Episol and Anthelios are examples of brands sold in Brazil. Compare the labelled FPS/SPF and UVA protection, expiry date and water-resistance directions; prices vary by product and shop.

A useful question is “Qual é o princípio ativo e a concentração?” (“What is the active ingredient and strength?”). If you take daily medication, have allergies, are pregnant, or are buying for a child, say so before accepting a suggested alternative.

Prescription and controlled medicines

Brazil's regulator, Anvisa, maintains a list of medicines exempt from prescription; prescription status depends on the substance and presentation, so “pharmacies sell most medicines freely” is not a safe rule. Antibiotics and controlled medicines have specific prescription and dispensing requirements. Do not rely on informal advice to buy a prescription medicine without its required paperwork.

• Bring regular medication in its original labelled packaging, with the quantity you need for the trip and a copy of the prescription or clinician's letter.
• For a controlled medicine, check Brazil's current entry requirements with Anvisa before travel; international rules can depend on the active substance, not its brand name.
• If a medicine is lost, take the package or prescription to a clinician or pharmacist. A foreign prescription may not be enough for every Brazilian product.
• Never combine two cold, pain or flu products without checking their ingredients; the same active ingredient can appear in several brands.

Asking about delivery

Some pharmacies accept delivery orders by app, website or WhatsApp. The service, eligible products, payment method, delivery fee and ETA are specific to the branch and order, so confirm before paying. Use a number shown on the chain's official page or app; do not send bank-card details, passport scans or detailed health records to an unverified contact.

For prescription or controlled medicines, the pharmacy must still follow the applicable prescription rules, even when it offers remote delivery. Have the pharmacist explain what document is required before you place the order.

Portuguese phrases that help

• “Preciso de algo para…” — I need something for… (dor de cabeça = headache; dor de barriga = stomach ache; diarreia = diarrhoea; picada de mosquito = mosquito bite; queimadura de sol = sunburn).
• “Vocês têm sem receita?” — Is it available without a prescription?
• “Qual é o princípio ativo?” — What is the active ingredient?
• “Tem genérico?” — Is there a generic version?
• “Vocês entregam no meu hotel?” — Do you deliver to my hotel?
• “Quanto custa?” — How much does it cost?

When a pharmacy is not enough

A pharmacist can help with an appropriate non-prescription product, explain the label and tell you when a clinician should assess you. Seek urgent care for chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, confusion, severe dehydration, a serious allergic reaction with facial or airway swelling, a wound needing stitches, or symptoms that are rapidly worsening. A hotel may be able to arrange a doctor for a non-urgent concern; confirm the service and total fee directly before accepting it.

For a medical emergency, call SAMU 192. The Ministry of Health says foreign visitors can seek care in Brazil's free public urgent-care network through SUS. Rio's UPAs provide 24-hour urgent care; use the city's or state's current service list to locate one. Triage and waiting times depend on urgency and demand.

Private 24-hour emergency departments include Hospital Copa D'Or in Copacabana and Hospital Samaritano Botafogo. Contact the provider and your insurer to confirm payment, accepted coverage, language assistance and current entrance details; do not assume direct billing.

Dengue and other mosquito-borne illness

Dengue cases vary by season and year, so an old “peak month” rule is a poor reason to dismiss a fever. Common symptoms include sudden fever, headache or pain behind the eyes, muscle or joint aches, nausea and rash. Similar symptoms can have other causes; seek medical assessment rather than trying to identify dengue from a checklist.

If dengue is possible, do not self-medicate with aspirin or anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen unless a clinician specifically tells you otherwise; they can increase bleeding risk. Seek urgent care for severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, bleeding, faintness or unusual drowsiness—warning signs can appear as the fever falls. Brazil's Ministry of Health advises prompt health-service assessment and warns against self-medication.

For prevention, use repellent according to its label, cover exposed skin when practical and check current local health advice. Yellow-fever vaccination is not an entry requirement for foreign visitors to Brazil, but vaccination recommendations depend on itinerary and personal health. Ask a travel-health clinician whether it is recommended for your route, and check your government's current travel-health guidance. See our Rio rainy-season guide for planning around rain without treating it as a dengue forecast.

Official health and pharmacy information checked

• Anvisa: medicines exempt from prescription and the current LMIP list.
• Anvisa travel guidance for medicines, including controlled substances.
• Brazilian Ministry of Health: public care during a visitor's stay.
• Brazilian Ministry of Health: dengue symptoms and care and CDC clinical care and warning signs.
• Rio State list of UPAs; for immediate help, call SAMU 192.

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