Nemes János: Healing Budapest - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1993)

Pharmacists and Opticians

A tricky moment

drugs, and with a few exceptions, only on prescription. As opposed to other countries, shops and foodstores in Hungary are not allowed to sell even simple painkillers or antispasmodics.

Pharmacies on duty on Saturdays and Sundays: 1026 Budapest, ii, Frankel Leó ü. 22. Tel,: 115-8290; 115-5891 1076 Budapest, viii, Rákóczi út 86. Tel.: 122-9613; 142-2918 1122 Budapest, xii, Alkotás u. i/b. Tel.: 155-4727; 155-4629

Opticians

A broken, lost pair of glasses can ruin your trip, especially if you haven’t got a spare one available. It is therefore useful to know the whereabouts of a few opticians’ shops. In fact, it is well worth having glasses made in Budapest. The quality is good and despite the substantial rises in price they still cost less than in Western Europe. Every important foreign type is available, and glasses are made without a prescription within twenty-four hours. The greatest rivals of OFOTÉRT, the only optical company until recently, are FOTEX and OPT I NOVA, joint American-Hungarian companies. Their contact lenses are especially popular. They store every kind. They cost around 1500 to 3000 forints at the moment, though special, coloured contact lenses will cost up to around 6000-7000 forints. Ophthal- mological check-ups, computer diagnostics are available in their shops.

49