Being sick sucks. This is especially true when you’re a student with only R30 left and three essays due. Luckily there are a few pharmacies in Stellenbosch where you can get relatively cheap medication over the counter.
Please note that while professionals at the pharmacies were consulted, this is not to be seen as medical advice from MatieMedia. These are merely helpful hints of what to ask for at pharmacies. Please consult a doctor if you are suffering from a serious illness.
The Stelkor campus pharmacy is located in the Neelsie. PHOTO: Lia Snijman
Stelkor Campus Pharmacy
This pharmacy is probably the best known by students because it is located at the Rooiplein entrance of Die Neelsie. They are open on weekdays from 8:00 to 17:30 and on Saturdays from 9:00 to 13:00.
For the treatment of a cold, their pharmacist, Heinrike le Roux, suggests either Flutex or Sinucon that cost R34.90 and R37.90 respectively for 20 tablets. Le Roux warns that these medications can cause drowsiness.
If you have a headache, Le Roux suggests that you simply ask for paracetamol or ibuprofen. They will give you 20 pills for about R10-R15. If you prefer a brand, you can buy 10 tablets of Painblok for R13.90.
Ibuprofen is also useful for period cramps. Le Roux states that none of these pain medications cause drowsiness, so you can continue working after you’ve taken them if your workload demands it.
For those who unfortunately have to deal with diarrhoea, the first tip from Le Roux is to let it, well, run its course for 24 hours to ensure that you don’t seal in the infection. After that, you can get 6 Gastron tablets for about R12. In order to rehydrate afterwards Le Roux advises to google a rehydration mix of water, sugar and salt that you can make at home.
If you find that the changing of the seasons has you down, you can pay R27.90 for 10 tablets of Loratadine to combat your hay fever.
The Eikestad Mall Pharmacy is on the second floor of the Eikestad Mall. PHOTO: Lia Snijman
Eikestad Mall Pharmacy
This pharmacy is convenient for those who live in Andringa Walk or those who like to do their lunch-and-medication-run in one. They are open from 9:00 to 18:00 on Mondays to Saturdays, and from 9:00 to 14:00 on a Sunday.
Famucaps is available at R26.90 for 20 tablets says Micaela Jooste, a pharmacist at Eikestad Mall Pharmacy. It solves everything from a cold, to hay fever, to sinus problems. Jooste warns that it can cause drowsiness depending on other conditions, so check with your pharmacist when purchasing it.
Jooste claims that headaches and period cramps can be tackled with Nurofen. It amounts to R29.90 for 12 tablets and does cause drowsiness. Brufen can also be used and costs R20 for 30 tablets. It causes drowsiness too.
Adco-loperide is your friend if you are suffering from diarrhoea. You can purchase it for R13.50 and get 6 pills. While you can use a product like Rehidrat to rehydrate, Jooste suggests that you can also just drink sugar water to save costs.
The Stelkor Pharmacy is on Piet Retief Street in Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Lia Snijman
Stelkor Pharmacy
Stelkor is a useful pharmacy for Helderberg residents and those from the Somerset-West area. They are open from 8:00 to 20:00 on weekdays, from 8:30 to 13:00 and then 17:00 to 20:00 on Saturdays, and from 10:00 to 12:00 and then 18:00 to 20:00 on a Sunday.
They have a flu combo that you can request for R39.90. This contains Brufen, Flustat and vitamin B tablets. It effectively deals with all the flu symptoms but does, unfortunately, cause drowsiness.
If you need to stay awake but still need to fight off your cold, you can opt for Ibumax at R32.90 for 12 tablets or 20 Sinucon tablets for R36.90. Sinucon contains caffeine, so it will even help you stay awake. Sinuend is also available at R22 for 20 tablets.
Paracetamol is useful for headaches and only costs R6.95 for 20 tablets. Menstruation cramps can be tackled with ibuprofen tablets at R10.70 for 20 tablets. These do not cause drowsiness, so you can still go about your business.
Gastron helps for diarrhoea at R10.90 for 6 tablets. If you only have stomach cramps, you can buy Scopex at R39.91 for 10 tablets. 10 Medazine tablets are available at 23.90 if you are feeling nauseous.
Rehidrat is slightly more costly with 6 sachets costing R77.90 but you can purchase a single one for R13 to save yourself and your cash flow. Hydrol is also available at R12.00 per unit.
If you know that hay fever is going to be a continuous problem for you, you can invest in a Flomist nasal spray for R109.91. Otherwise, your options are 30 Allergex tablets for R21.90 or 10 Texa Allergy tablets for R32.90. Texa Allergy might be more expensive but it does not cause drowsiness like Allergex.
Best of luck if you are currently ill! Hopefully you don’t have to worry about finances after this article – only getting that pesky sick note, staying up to date with work and hoping that your crush doesn’t see you on your way to the pharmacy.