In my area (Madrid) the only shelves with medicines on are behind the counter. I guess it varies from region to region

Indee, my wife used to buy antibiotics when in Spain and it supposedly changed, so when we tried last year they refused us. Mentioned it to the Spanish people we were staying with, they popped down and got exactly what we were refused. It's treated as most rules and regulations are in Spain.

Happened to me just last week when the local farmacia refused to serve me a couple of items as they've done a time or two in the past year or so, though prior to that they were always quite helpful.

So I thought why not try in the next village just to see what happens.
I asked briefly in my best Spanish accent, though I haven't a clue if that was what made the difference or if they just happened to have a different policy.

Anyway,suffice to say that I got served there no problem.

Certainly some paracetamols are sold OTC, today in the press they are discussing the morning after pill (freely available without prescription to any age) and it says, «Las farmacias venden paracetamol sin receta y es más peligroso que la "píldora del día después"»
http://www.abc.es/sociedad/20130613/...306121329.html

Yes the article I linked to referred to "Algidol (paracetamol con codeína)" as not being OTC. I think other paracetemols are allowed OTC in Spain (as in the UK).

We could get virtually anything at our farmacía in Elviria, Marbella. There were always Germans in with a list to buy. Heard a few old men buying viagra One day I went in and there was a list of items they wouldn't be selling anymore, including antibiotics. I don't recall ever seeing Spanish supermarkets selling painkillers either

I always try to buy antibiotics as our UK GP will only prescribe them if you have suffered for a couple of weeks. Bought a few items in Belize including sleeping pills. Flew back via Miami and when I unpacked one of the suitcases had a note from USA homeland security saying they had searched the case! Wouldn't have known as it was all orderly. They left all the medication, probably because only in small quantities. Dogs must have sniffed out the case.

I did manage to buy some in Sorrento!

Impossible to buy in formerly British Caribbean Islands too.

Thing there is getting to be some confusion here OTC means 'Over The Counter' and applies to any medicine you can just go into and buy, as opposed to POM, 'Prescription Only Medicine'.

Yes I was replying to snikpoh's comment which seemed to imply that in their area OTC medicines were placed on shelves in front of the counter. My point was that in my area of Madrid you have to ask for both types of medicine at the counter. So if the want OTC parecetemol you have to ask for it - you can't just pick what you want from a shelf beforehand.

When we lived in Spain, we had a number of visitors who would buy their pain killers when with us because of the stronger ones available, and the fact that they could just go into a pharmacy and get a box of 100 without being quizzed as to whether they knew all the side effects etc by the pharmacist. Viagra is AFAIK, available OTC in pharmacies in the UK, certainly the morning after pill is.

True, but I don't see anything commendable in being able to buy as many high strength pills as you want, it's literally a recipe for disaster. Spain used to pop antibiotics like smarties, it's well known the body builds up a resistance to them. Now they are supposedly POM, but as we've said that's widely abused. Despite the supposedly healthy life style, fabulous med diet, the Spanish are a load of hypochondriacs, they are the second highest poppers of pills in the world.

Drove over stayed six months, travelled a bit and drove home again....didn't have to tell anyone only the gas, electric, phone and council to freeze all the bills.

Many do that six months here six months there.

Now you know about pills you can buy....... Lets get back to living in Spain ..in Cran Canaria the Icelanders, Swiss,Germans come in October and stay till April or May and none of the ones i know have a NIE or anything from the Spainish Goverment.. the just show their passport to the landlord and you can open a back account with passport only.

Thanks for answers everyone!
One more question: do you think we should open a bank account in Spain for these few months? I need to check with our banks if they have any offers for travelers. I would prefer to avoid transferring money from one account to another.

If you have an atm card there is no need to open a bank account in Spain.

I went into a farmacia in the centre of Valencia this week and bought OTC 600mg ibuprofen tablets without any problem - €1.90 for 40.