A non-prescription drug is medicine you can buy in a pharmacy or shop without a doctor's written order.

一種non-prescription drugA non-prescription drug is medicine 是你可以在藥局或商店買到的藥you can buy in a pharmacy or shop 不需要醫生的書面處方without a doctor's written order。

Pain tablets, cough syrup, cold medicine, and many creams are sold this way. The chemist may still ask you questions, and the box still tells you how much to take — the point is only that the law does not demand a doctor's paper first.

止痛藥、咳嗽糖漿、感冒藥，還有很多藥膏Pain tablets, cough syrup, cold medicine, and many creams 都是這樣賣的are sold this way。藥師The chemist 可能還是會問你問題may still ask you questions，而and 盒子上還是會告訴你要吃多少the box still tells you how much to take——重點the point 只在於is only that 法律不要求你先拿到醫生的處方the law does not demand a doctor's paper first。

Though actually, 'no doctor's note' is not the same as 'harmless' or 'weak.' Some of these medicines are rough if you take too much, mix them with alcohol, or give them to a small child.

不過其實Though actually，「不需要醫生的處方」'no doctor's note' 不等於「無害」或「藥效弱」is not the same as 'harmless' or 'weak.'。這些藥裡有些Some of these medicines 如果你吃太多可能會很傷are rough if you take too much，或跟酒混著吃mix them with alcohol，或or 給小小孩吃give them to a small child。

American English often says over-the-counter (OTC); you will see that on packaging here too. The opposite is a prescription drug, which the pharmacy should not hand over unless a doctor has written for it.

美式英語American English 常說over-the-counter（OTC）often says over-the-counter (OTC)；你you 在這裡的包裝上也會看到這個說法will see that on packaging here too。相反的The opposite 是prescription drugis a prescription drug，藥局which the pharmacy 不應該給你should not hand over 除非醫生已經開了處方unless a doctor has written for it。