Some people in the United States will make an appointment to see a doctor if they catch a cold. They are the privileged—those with both good health insurance and enough time to fill out a lot of paperwork. Most people with the sniffles will just visit a drugstore to pick up some over-the-counter (OTC) medicine.

Drugstores have a pharmacist on-site who mostly fill doctors’ prescriptions but can also help customers choose suitable OTC remedies. While at the drugstore, people can also pick up vitamins, cosmetics, personal care items, stationery, all kinds of snacks, and other daily necessities. Well-known chain drugstores in the United States, such as CVS and Walgreens, sell all kinds of products—from books and beer to toys and T-shirts. They are what you would get if you combined a small Carrefour with a Watsons and a Taiwanese pharmacy.

If you’re in a hurry, you could also swing by a large supermarket. They may also sell OTC medicines, and quite a few of them have a small pharmacy. Of course, if you’re at the supermarket, you might as well just buy the ingredients for the oldest cold remedy–chicken soup. ~David

在美國有些人感冒時會和診所約個時間去看醫生，而這些人通常擁有「特權」──本身既擁有良好的醫療保險，又有足夠的時間填寫一大堆表單。大多數只是稍微擤擤鼻涕的人只會去藥局買些非處方藥。

藥局裡有一名藥劑師，主要負責開處方箋的藥，但也可以幫顧客選擇合適的成藥。在藥局裡，人們還能購買維他命、彩妝品、個人盥洗用品、文具、各種零食和其他日常用品。美國著名的連鎖大藥局，例如 CVS 和 Walgreens，所販售的商品更是五花八門，從書、啤酒到玩具和 T 恤，大概等於小型家樂福加屈臣氏再加一間台灣轉角藥房。

如果你趕時間，也可以在大超市逛逛。超市也可能買得到成藥，並且其中許多都設有小型藥房。當然，如果你在超市，也可以買最古老的感冒藥──雞湯原料。