I ran out of Meclizine for my travel back to the US. I had a long travel day ahead of me with an 11…read morehour layover in Korea, so I needed to get some pills. Luckily this Watsons was only a 2 minute walk from The Belmont Hotel. I headed to the counter and got my pills! This is a good sized Watsons. They have a nice section for personal care and beauty products. It looks fairly new so it was really nice and clean. As in most pharmacies or drugstore in the Philippines, you have to go to the counter and ask for the drugs you need from the clerk, even for OTC meds. They disburse them by the pill, so make sure you tell them how many pills you need.

Nice little corner pharmacy were i needed to go because i had a very bad cold…read more The pharmacist was full of suggestions for decongestant and lozenges for my throat. Also you can buy distilled water and other items you usually find in a pharmacy.

Living with senior citizen parents and also being so sickly myself means that I visit drugstores a…read morelot. In fact, I've memorized all the places to get pills here in the south, in Makati and in BGC. Good thing, there's a tiny South Star Drug right outside the village. Because it's right outside the village and it's tiny, it gets really crowded. I've never gone to this shop without seeing a line at the cashier and another line for all the drugs. With that being said, it takes some time to place an order and to get your pills. If you're buying a specific medicine that needs a prescription, you better bring it or they won't give you your medicine. Try to pay with cash 'cause it takes even longer when using a card.

A few steps away from CommCare is Supreme Pharmacy. Convenient, if you ask me. Go to CommCare to…read moreget diagnosed and get a prescription. Then walk a few steps (or ask someone to do if for you 'cause you're sick) to the pharmacy and get your medicines. Surprisingly, they do have an it's-not-that-wide-but-good-enough selection of medicines. They do have pills for the usual headache, fever and other common ailments. There are days when they have my dad's heart medicines, but most days they don't have it. I noticed that they have a lot of products for babies and children.

There are literally hundreds of branches of Mercury Drug all over the country. Only a few operate…read more24/7. They come in all sizes, from the very small to nearly supermarket size. The latter is what we have at the corner of Russia and Dona Soledad Avenue in Paranaque City. I've found that not all Mercury Drug branches are run the same way. I like this branch not only because it comes in handy during the odd hours when there's a sudden need for medicine, or even "essential" food items like potato chips and ice cream. The better to watch videos with, There have been several occasions when we had to run to Mercury when there was an urgent need to buy diapers or paracetamol for the kids. During regular hours, the place can get pretty crowded so its best to schedule any purchases during the odd hours. Parking is no problem though. Besides the front and side, there is also a full parking lot right beside the branch. It's free of course because this is Paranaque, not Makati. For sheer convenience alone, I give this branch of Mercury Drug five stars.

I only buy medicine from here. I own a Mercury Drug Suki card and so far, it's been giving me…read morepretty good rewards. I've made Mercury Drug rich over the years and I do wish I own a branch. They just make so much money, more than any business out there. I often say that you can tell if a city is "prosperous" or "emerging" if it has the following: a Jollibee branch, a BPI bank and a Mercury Drug. Yes, ladies and gentlemen these are the signs of progress and everywhere you go in this city you are bound to find any of these. I like this branch in particular because the lines are never ever horrendous. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I haven't spent more than 15 minutes buying any of my OTC needs when I'm in here. The staff in this branch are fast and efficient and they've made the whole process of spending thousands of pesos for medicine somewhat bearable.

Everyone knows Mercury Drug but everyone should also get to know The Generics Pharmacy as well. My…read moregrand father lives alone. It's his own choice. We do visit him often though. As an old person, he gets sick often and sometimes, not everyone is available at a certain moment of time to rush to the store to buy medicine for him. When this happens, he heads to The Generics Pharmacy to buy his medicine. Branches are everywhere so it's easily accessible to the public and most importantly, my lolo gets to save money. A lot of Filipinos can't really afford off the counter medicine as they can be pretty expensive, especially if you need to take them in a longer period of time. This pharmacy's advocacy is selling quality medicine in affordable prices so that everyone can have a more affordable option. They have even won an award under the Department of Health. So rest assured that The Generics Pharmacy is a trusted pharmaceutical brand.

I used to buy my medicine all at Mercury - the location seems convenient too, as it's just near to…read morewhere I ride a tricycle to get home. But even closer to the tricycle terminal is this generic pharmacy. It's just a small shop, and not particularly noticeable, as the posters and stickers for lotto are right outside, and there's also a lotto booth at the side of the pharmacy's interior - that is what would actually catch your attention, and not the pharmacy. But one day, though, when I was having too many medicine expenses, I tried to look for cheaper options. And finally I paid attention to this small store. I bought some iron tablets and I think they were almost ten tablets, but I got them for just around P20. Cool! When a doctor or someone from the medical field assures me that the generic version of a medicine I need performs the same way as the branded option, I will definitely go here again.

There are a number of pharmacies in the Market! Market! area, but I still go to Metro Pharmacy…read morelocated in front of Metro Supermarket at the lower ground floor of the mall. Why? Because there's usually less people and no long queues of customers there. A big area of the pharmacy is allocated for non-prescription health and wellness section which sells vitamin supplements, protein shakes, and other herbal remedies. This is also where you can get over-the-counter medications, personal hygiene products, and even special haircare items. I like the fact that this pharmacy is quite strict with prescription medication. The pharmacists at the enclosed counter ask for prescription, dosage, and other important details to make sure that they dispense the right medication. They also suggest generic alternatives in case you are interested in saving money. Since the pharmacy is under Metro Gaisano, you can also get rewards for your purchases if you have a Metro Rewards card. This pharmacy is open daily during mall hours.

This branch sometimes sells epilators! And if they have it, you buy it (or tell a friend who's been…read morelooking for it for a long time)! I usually come here to buy wax strips because they have different kinds for different purposes. So I come here for wax strips and leave with a million other items that I may or may not really need. See, the store is packed with all sorts of soaps, shampoos, make up, lotions, conditioners and the list goes on. Ah yes, you can also buy medicines here. Going back to the epilators, yes, they sell them. They also have hairdriers, hair straighteners, curlers, toothbrushes that run on batteries and those foot spa machines that make your feet feel so papered and loved. The price of their items? It will fit in your budget. You won't have to rob a bank or go hungry to buy what you want here.

For all my personal care needs, I go to the Watson's branch in Greenbelt 1, Makati. Filled to the…read morebrim with all sorts of shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, lotions, toothpastes and whichever else you might need to help you preen and primp, Watson's is definitely a goldmine for the kikay girl (or even guy) in each one of us. It's also worthy to note that Watson's also carries personal care appliances such as blow-driers, hair-straighteners and curlers to name a few. They've also got on-hand sales associates who can show you the proper ways of using these appliances (plus tips and tricks). Another helpful tip is to take note of discounts or promos that are offered in the store all year round. Aside from the usual personal care needs, Watson's also has an in-house pharmacy, making it the ultimate in one-stop shop wonders.