Vocabulary practice · Episode 80

Review the useful expressions from the episode

Study the episode’s central expressions with English definitions, nuance and examples, plus reviewed support-language versions where available.

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  1. Choose one expression. Read its definition, nuance and examples.
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Expression 1

to pick up a prescription

to go to a pharmacy and collect the medicine that a doctor has prescribed for you

Nuance: Pick up a prescription is an essential pharmacy phrase — it assumes you have already seen a doctor and received a prescription. Understanding this workflow is essential for healthcare navigation in an English-speaking country.

I'm here to pick up a prescription — it should be under the name Smith.

She learned to pick up her prescriptions and ask about dosage in English before she needed to — preparation made it stress-free.

Expression 2

over the counter

available to buy directly from a pharmacy without needing a doctor's prescription

Nuance: Over the counter (OTC) is essential pharmacy vocabulary — it describes medicines you can buy without a prescription. Knowing this phrase and its opposite (prescription only) means you can navigate any pharmacy conversation with confidence.

Is this medication available over the counter or do I need a prescription?

Most painkillers in the UK are available over the counter — you don't need to see a doctor first.

Expression 3

a pharmacist

a trained and licensed healthcare professional who dispenses medication and provides advice on drugs and their use

Nuance: Pharmacist is the healthcare professional noun. In English-speaking countries, the pharmacist is an accessible first point of health advice — more accessible than a GP. Phrases: 'I'd like to speak to the pharmacist', 'the pharmacist recommended...', 'the pharmacist checked my prescription'. In the UK, pharmacists can now prescribe certain medications directly, making them an even more important healthcare contact.

Speak to the pharmacist before taking any new medication — they can flag interactions you might miss.

She asked the pharmacist whether the antihistamine she was buying would cause drowsiness and adjusted her dose accordingly.

Expression 4

a dosage

the specific amount of a medicine to be taken — and the frequency with which it should be taken

Nuance: Dosage is the medical quantity noun. Correct dosage is critical — too little is ineffective, too much is dangerous. In pharmacy English: 'What is the recommended dosage?', 'Take one tablet twice a day', 'Do not exceed the stated dose'. For patients, being able to understand and clarify dosage instructions is an important medical safety skill.

Always check the dosage carefully — double the dose does not mean double the benefit.

She misread the dosage instructions and accidentally took twice the recommended amount before noticing her mistake.

Expression 5

to be out of stock

to have no supply of a particular item available — because it has been sold or used up

Nuance: Out of stock is the retail and pharmacy unavailability phrase. In pharmacy contexts: 'I'm afraid that medication is currently out of stock', 'We can order it for you', 'There's a two-day wait'. Knowing how to handle this situation — asking for alternatives, ordering ahead, understanding delivery timelines — is practical pharmacy English.

If your medication is out of stock, ask whether the pharmacist can order it or suggest an equivalent.

She was disappointed to find her prescription medication was out of stock and had to wait three days for the order to arrive.

Expression 6

to be on a repeat prescription

to have a regularly renewed prescription for long-term medication — so that you can collect it without seeing the doctor each time

Nuance: Repeat prescription is the long-term medication management phrase. For patients with ongoing conditions — diabetes, hypertension, asthma — repeat prescriptions allow regular collection without repeated consultations. In the UK NHS, repeat prescriptions can often be requested online or through a pharmacy and collected directly. Understanding this system is important practical healthcare English.

Set up a repeat prescription for any long-term medication — it saves time and prevents running out.

She was on a repeat prescription for her blood pressure medication and could collect it from the pharmacy without seeing her GP.

Expression 7

to read the label

to look carefully at the information printed on a medication's packaging — including dosage, warnings, and expiry date

Nuance: Read the label is the medicine safety phrase. On medication packaging in English-speaking countries, labels include: dosage instructions ('take one tablet three times daily with food'), warnings ('do not drive'), interactions ('avoid alcohol'), expiry dates, and storage instructions. Being able to read and understand these is a critical practical literacy skill — not just a language one.

Always read the label before taking any medication — instructions and warnings are there for your safety.

She always read the label carefully before starting a new medication because she had learned the hard way what happens when you do not.

Expression 8

to fill a prescription

to have a prescription prepared and dispensed at a pharmacy — receiving the medication the doctor has ordered

Nuance: Fill a prescription is the American English pharmacy phrase (British English: 'collect a prescription'). Both mean the same thing: taking your prescription to the pharmacy and receiving the medication. In some countries, prescriptions are paper-based; in others, they are electronic. Understanding the difference between a prescription (the doctor's instruction) and the medication (what you receive) is a key medical English distinction.

Fill your prescription the same day it is issued — some medications are needed immediately.

She went straight to the pharmacy to fill her prescription and was relieved to start the antibiotics the same evening.

Expression 9

to be prescribed

to be given a formal written instruction from a doctor specifying a medication, dosage, and duration of treatment

Nuance: Be prescribed is the passive medical instruction phrase. 'I was prescribed...' is how patients describe what a doctor ordered for them. Knowing this phrase is important because it clearly distinguishes between medication the doctor chose ('I was prescribed X') and medication you chose yourself ('I bought X over the counter'). This distinction matters in medical conversations and on health forms.

Tell every healthcare provider what you have been prescribed — including medications from abroad.

She was prescribed a course of antibiotics and was told to complete the full ten days even if she felt better sooner.

Expression 10

to run out of

to use up all of a supply — so that none remains

Nuance: Run out of is the supply exhaustion phrasal verb. In pharmacy contexts: 'I've run out of my medication', 'I'm running low and need a repeat'. Managing medication supply — knowing when to reorder before running out — is a practical health responsibility. The phrase is also widely used for any consumable: 'run out of time', 'run out of ideas', 'run out of patience'.

Never let yourself run out of long-term medication — order your repeat at least a week before the last dose.

She ran out of her prescription before the bank holiday weekend and had to ask an emergency pharmacist for help.

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