For minor conditions or ailments that do not require a doctor you can visit die Apotheke, pharmacy. It's the only place licensed to sell medicine and the staff are medically trained and qualified to give general advice on conditions.

Die Apotheke will be clearly marked with a red "A" displayed on the front of the shop. For emergencies every town has a pharmacy on duty round the clock called die Notdienstapotheke. They dispense emergency items or Medizin auf Rezept, medicine with a doctor's prescription. Germany in general is a highly medicated country, and while the sale of medicines is tightly regulated, people tend to keep a well-stocked medicine cabinet at home.

If you need a doctor you can choose from der allgemeine Arzt, the general practitioner, as well as specialised doctors like der Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Arzt, ear nose and throat specialist, der Orthopäde, orthopedist, der Augenarzt, optician, or der Hautarzt, dermatologist, to name a few. The local Apotheke should be able to advise on an appropriate surgery should you need one. For urgent cases you can usually arrange an emergency appointment.