ESL Podcast 183 – At the Pharmacy

I went to the drugstore down the street to fill a prescription¹ at the pharmacy². I have had some problems with my arm and the doctor prescribed for me a new medication. I waited in line and when it was my turn, I handed the prescription to the pharmacist. She told me to come back in 15 minutes and she would have it ready for me.

In the meantime, I went to look for some over the counter stomach medication. There was some in tablets and capsules. I decided³ on the capsules and returned to the pharmacy.

The pharmacist asked me if I had taken this medication before. I told her I hadn’t, and she pointed⁴ out the directions on the bottle. It had the dosage information: Take two tablets two times a day. There was also a warning to not take it on an empty stomach. The bottle also said that I should stop taking the medication if I had any serious side effects. The pharmacist told me to follow the directions closely so that I can avoid an overdose. I paid for the medication and thanked her for her help.


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

2 pharmacy   

n.药房，药剂学，制药业，配药业，一批备用药品

参考例句：

• She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。