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HEALTH

Pharmacists offer polyglot service

If you want to talk to someone in up to 47 different languages in Vienna, don't visit a language school - instead, visit a pharmacist (Apotheke.)

Pharmacists offer polyglot service
A Viennese pharmacy. Photo: Apostl Apotheke
Vienna is a city where people live with many different backgrounds and native languages. This is also reflected in the diversity of languages ​​in the Vienna pharmacies.
 
On average, six different languages ​​are spoken per pharmacy. Overall, Vienna's pharmacy staff give advice to their clients in 47 different languages, according to a recent survey.
 
This linguistic diversity is now revealed as part of the project "Health speaks many languages", presented by the Chamber of Pharmacists.
 
In Vienna, there are currently 95,000 people of Serbian origin, 75,000 people of Turkish origin and 45,000 people of Polish origin (Statistics Austria 2013).  Only those who truly understand the advice they receive in the pharmacies, can benefit from it.
 
"Thanks to the diversity of languages ​​we can respond individually to the needs of the customers, "said Andrea Vlasek, President of the Vienna Chamber of Pharmacists on Wednesday.
 
"We are trying to reach customers in their own language in order to better serve them," said Viktor Hafner, Vice-President of the Vienna Chamber of Pharmacists.
 
From now on, it will be possible to see at a glance what languages ​​are spoken in any pharmacy.  The pharmacies will post the flags of the languages which they speak.
 
The promotion of linguistic diversity and particularly the high number of women working in pharmacies with an immigrant background is seen as a very positive role model by integration Councillor Sandra Frauenberger (SPÖ).
 
"Multilingualism is a great opportunity that we must seize. Vienna speaks 250 languages, there is so much potential that we must seize. With the initiative of the Chamber of Pharmacists of Vienna, multilingualism is made clearer and it is an important contribution to the acceptance and appreciation of diversity in Vienna. "

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HEALTH

What do you do in Austria if your nearest pharmacy is closed?

It's nine pm in Austria, and you're out of painkillers or decongestants. You're desperate for pain relief but your local Apotheke is shut, so what do you do?

What do you do in Austria if your nearest pharmacy is closed?

In Austria Apotheken (pharmacies) are the only places in which you can purchase painkillers and decongestants. Ostensibly in the public interest, but it’s also a lucrative moneymaker for the businesses. This monopoly on the sale of certain pharmaceutical drugs is a subject frequently debated and is of much consternation for overseas arrivals. 

READ MORE: Why are painkillers only sold in pharmacies in Austria?

However, many Apotheken can close as early as six pm, especially if you live outside a major city centre. If you’re suffering from a cold or a nasty headache, it can seem like an eternity until they reopen. 

Fortunately, there is relief. Emergency situations will always arise, and pharmacies often band together to provide service at nights, over weekends and on public holidays.

This is done on a rota basis, so your local Apotheke may not be open, there will be a Apotheken-Notdienst (Emergency-service pharmacy) within a 5 – 10km range. 

Often, Apotheken will have a sign or screen out the front that gives the address and opening times for Apotheken-Notdienst in the area, updated frequently.

A number of websites also exist that can give you the location of operating Apotheken-Notdienst across Austria, such as APO24.at. Entering your PLZ (or postcode) will list the nearest to you. 

However, if they don’t have online access, dialling 1455 while put you in touch with a service who can either direct you to the Apotheken-Notdienst on duty, or help you in getting you further assistance. 

If all else fails, your local hospital should have a Notfall-Praxis – ostensibly an emergency doctor service out of hours. If you’re prepared to wait, you will be able to see a doctor, and they can either dispense medication, or direct you to the hospital pharmacy with a prescription. 

Before you go, it’s worth brushing up on your vocabulary. The Local has developed a list of vocabulary and phrases that you can use to describe your symptoms to pharmacists and doctors, to help them prescribe the best possible medication.

READ MORE: Colds and flu: What to say if you get sick in Austria

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