Getting a prescription renewed in French

1. 1
   ordonnance/ɔʁdɔnɑ̃s/

   prescriptionnoun

   A doctor's paper listing your medicines.
2. 2
   renouveler/ʁənuvle/

   to renewverb

   To make valid again for a new period.
3. 3
   renouvelable/ʁənuvlabl/

   renewableadjective

   That can be extended one more time.
4. 4

   pharmacienpharmacist

5. 5

   médicamentmedicine

6. 6

   traitementtreatment

7. 7

   boîtebox

8. 8

   mutuellesupplementary insurance

9. 9

   génériquegeneric

10. 10

    posologiedosage

The sentences3 of 10

1. Mon ordonnance n'est plus valable depuis la semaine dernière.

   My prescription hasn't been valid since last week.

2. Est-ce que vous pouvez renouveler mon ordonnance ?

   Can you renew my prescription?

3. Mon ordonnance est renouvelable trois fois, c'est écrit en bas.

   My prescription is renewable three times, it's written at the bottom.

Pronunciation

• renouveler/ʁənuvle/

  The e after the v is not pronounced: you say « renouv'ler ».

Good to know

carte Vitale

At the pharmacy, you hand over your carte Vitale with the prescription to be reimbursed by the national health insurance. Your mutuelle then covers part of the rest, depending on your contract.

médicament générique

The pharmacist may offer a generic instead of the brand-name drug. It contains the same active substance and is usually cheaper.

tiers payant

Many pharmacies let you skip paying upfront if you show your carte Vitale and your mutuelle card. It depends on your coverage, so ask at the counter.

pharmacie de garde

Outside opening hours, an on-duty pharmacy stays open at night, on Sundays and on public holidays. It changes by town and by day, and the address is posted on pharmacy windows.

Questions

How do you ask a pharmacist to renew a prescription in French?

You can say « Est-ce que vous pouvez renouveler mon ordonnance ? », which means "Can you renew my prescription?".