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Medical English Exercise | Topic: ESL for Pharmacy/Pharmacists 1

Whether you're a pharmacist, work in a pharmacy/drugstore, or a customer, this exercise will make communication easier by teaching you the right vocabulary. Although it's meant for ESL students, it'll be useful to anyone who wants to practice this specialized vocabulary.

Choose the best response to complete each of the sentences below.

1. I have to __________________________ my prescription. ( = get a second/subsequent filling )
  refill
  refuel
  reveal

2. I'm sorry, we're temporarily __________________________ that antibiotic. ( = we don't have any more)
  sold
  out of
  away from

3. Nausea is a common __________________________ of these pills.
  side condition
  secondary affectation
  side effect

4. Make sure you take this __________________________ with plenty of water.
  medication
  medicament
  pills

5. Don't take these on __________________________. Take them with a meal.
  empty stomach
  a stomach that's empty
  an empty stomach

6. We always __________________________ ( = verify) with your doctor before filling your prescription.
  check out
  check
  check in

7. You might __________________________ ( = feel) some dizziness.
  experience
  expect
  expend

8. This is the best cold medicine __________________________. ( = that's available)
  on demand
  on the market
  on a scale of one to ten

9. Its benefits __________________________ its risks. ( = it has more benefits than risks)
  weight more than
  outweigh
  are heavier than

10. Let's see if we can find you a low-cost __________________________. ( = substitute)
  alteration
  altercation
  alternative

(Your answers will be displayed in a new window)

SAMPLE CONVERSATION: Pharmacy

Here's an example of a conversation between a pharmacist and a customer:

CONVERSATION TOPIC: Prescription and advice

Pharmacist: Hello. Are you here to pick up a prescription?

Client: Yes, I am. It should be under the name Garcia.

Pharmacist: I have it here. This is an antibiotic. Have you taken this medication before?

Client: No, this is my first time.

Pharmacist: All right. You need to take it twice a day for seven days.

Client: Even if I start feeling better?

Pharmacist: Yes, you must finish the entire course, or the infection could come back.

Client: I see. Are there any side effects I should be aware of?

Pharmacist: You might feel some nausea, but it usually goes away. If you develop a rash, stop taking it and contact your doctor.

Client: Got it. Thank you for explaining everything.

Pharmacist: My pleasure. Take care.

GRAMMAR FOCUS

Modal verbs for advice and obligation
“You need to take it twice a day.”
→ Need to expresses necessity.
“You must finish the entire course.”
→ Must shows strong obligation, often from rules or medical advice.
“You might feel some nausea.”
→ Might expresses possibility, not certainty.

MATERIALS TO HELP YOU LEARN (AND TEACH!):
BUSINESS ENGLISH GLOSSARY
BUSINESS ENGLISH WORKSHEET COLLECTION

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