French Medicines in Spain: 11 Equivalents Checked (Dafalgan, Levothyrox…)

In Spain, most French medicines exist under another name: Doliprane and Dafalgan become paracetamol (Gelocatil, Efferalgan), Levothyrox becomes Eutirox (prescription only), Imodium becomes Fortasec. Spasfon, Smecta, Vogalib and Biafine have no product in the Spanish register (CIMA).

"Spasfon in Barcelona?" "My Levothyrox in Valencia?" On expat forums and travel groups the answers contradict each other, and no health authority page answers the question the way people ask it. Here is what Spain's official register says, medicine by medicine.

The method: every Spanish product was checked in CIMA, the official register of the Spanish medicines agency (AEMPS), on September 29, 2026: whether it is registered, whether it is marketed, and whether it is sin receta (no prescription needed) or con receta (prescription only). French data comes from the ANSM's Base de données publique des médicaments (BDPM). When a substance is absent from CIMA, it means no product containing it is authorized there, not that it is "banned." The matches between products are made by Kayu from these two registers; neither the AEMPS nor the ANSM publishes an equivalence table, and neither endorses this article.

At a glance

And one trap going the other way, which French travelers discover on the spot: Nolotil, at the end of this article.

The straightforward equivalents

What is Doliprane called in Spain?

Doliprane doesn't exist in Spain, but its molecule does, under the same name: paracetamol. CIMA lists no Doliprane or Dafalgan product; you will find Gelocatil, Termalgin, Efferalgan and generics named "Paracetamol + manufacturer EFG". For the 1 g strength, the pack size decides whether you need a prescription.

The product-by-product table is on the acetaminophen France–Spain sheet (the sheet uses paracetamol's North American name). Every sheet for this pair of countries: France–Spain equivalences.

Is Dafalgan sold in Spain?

No. Dafalgan doesn't exist in Spain: there is no product under that name in CIMA. Ask for paracetamol, or for Efferalgan, sold under the same name as in France.

Efferalgan is sold in Spain under the same name and by the same manufacturer (UPSA). But Efferalgan 1 g effervescent is prescription only in Spain, while it is sold without a prescription in France. Only the 500 mg capsules are sin receta (no prescription needed) there.

Nurofen or Advil in Spain?

Ibuprofen (ibuprofeno) is everywhere in Spain: 164 marketed products in the register. The Nurofen brand is sold under that name, without a prescription. Advil, on the other hand, does not appear in CIMA. The names you will be offered: Dalsy, Nurofen, Espidifen, Neobrufen or an EFG generic.

A useful rule at the counter: 600 mg is prescription only (Espidifen and Neobrufen, for example, are prescription only in every strength). 400 mg exists under both statuses, depending on the product. The ibuprofen France–Spain sheet details the matched products.

Is children's ibuprofen the same strength in Spain?

Not always, and this is the one to watch on this list. In France, the common pediatric ibuprofen suspensions are 20 mg/ml. In Spain, Dalsy comes in 20 mg/ml and in 40 mg/ml, both without a prescription, and so does Nurofen Pediátrico.

Same brand, a bottle twice as concentrated: each dosing device matches the concentration of its own bottle. Check the "mg/ml" on the box, follow the leaflet and the measuring device supplied with that bottle, and ask the pharmacist if in doubt.

What is Imodium called in Spain?

The Imodium brand isn't in CIMA, but loperamide 2 mg is: Fortasec (capsules, plus Fortasec Flas orally disintegrating tablets), Salvacolina, Diarfin. Every marketed single-ingredient loperamide product there is sold without a prescription. Watch out for "Fortasec Plus": it adds a second active ingredient.

What is Levothyrox called in Spain?

Neither Levothyrox nor Levothroid is in the Spanish register. The brand equivalent is Eutirox, from the same group (Merck), in thirteen strengths from 25 to 200 µg, alongside generics (Aristo, Sanofi, Teva). As in France, all levothyroxine is prescription only in Spain.

A difference from Canada: in principle, a French prescription is recognized in Spain, as in the rest of the European Union (EU rules). It goes through more easily if it names the active ingredient ("levothyroxine") and not just the brand. The Spanish pharmacist applies Spanish rules, may refuse if in doubt, and some medicines are excluded.

Is Strepsils sold in Spain?

Yes. Strepsils lozenges exist in Spain under their own name, with the same pair of active ingredients (dichlorobenzyl alcohol + amylmetacresol), sold without a prescription. You will also find Bucomax and Farinstop. One caution: "Strepsils con lidocaína" adds a local anesthetic.

The trap: same brand, different formula

Is Gaviscon the same in Spain?

No. The French Gaviscon oral suspension sachet contains sodium alginate 500 mg + sodium bicarbonate 267 mg. The Spanish sachet has those same two doses and adds 160 mg of calcium carbonate. The Spanish Gaviscon Forte has yet another composition. Same familiar box, different contents: read the label, not the brand.

The absentees: nothing in the Spanish register

Is there Spasfon in Spain?

No. Phloroglucinol, Spasfon's active ingredient, matches no product in CIMA, under any spelling (floroglucinol, fluoroglucinol, phloroglucinol), nor under the Spasfon name. There is no "Spanish Spasfon": choosing another antispasmodic is a decision for a doctor or a pharmacist, not for an equivalence table.

Is there Smecta in Spain?

No. Diosmectite, Smecta's active ingredient, is absent from CIMA (searched: diosmectita, esmectita, smectita, Smecta). On the French side, note that since 2019 the ANSM has advised against clay-based medicines for children under 2 years old, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Is there Vogalib in Spain?

No. Metopimazine, Vogalib's active ingredient, has no product in the Spanish register, neither under its own name nor as Vogalib.

Is there Biafine in Spain?

No, and beware of Bexidermil. There is no Biafine product in CIMA. The only result for trolamina is Bexidermil (ISDIN), whose active ingredient is trolamine salicylate, a gel from the salicylate family. That is not the same active ingredient as Biafine's trolamine emulsion: Bexidermil is not an equivalent.

If you use Biafine, know that it is not available in Spain; for an alternative, ask a pharmacist.

Nolotil (metamizole): prescription only in Spain, absent in France

If you are offered Nolotil in Spain, know what it is: metamizole, a painkiller in wide use there (more than twenty marketed products in CIMA). Two facts checked in the register:

• In Spain, all metamizole products are prescription only, Nolotil included. Some online sources present it as sold over the counter: the register says con receta.
• In France, the BDPM contains no metamizole medicine. The name will not be familiar in France: if you took it in Spain, tell your doctor or pharmacist, naming the substance, metamizole.

Frequently asked questions

Can you buy Dafalgan in Spain?

No, there is no Dafalgan product in the Spanish register. Ask for paracetamol: Gelocatil, Efferalgan or an EFG generic. For the 1 g strength, small packs are sold without a prescription; packs of 20 and 40 require one.

What is Levothyrox called in Spain?

Eutirox, from the same group (Merck), or a levothyroxine generic (levotiroxina). All levothyroxine is prescription only in Spain.

Is a French prescription valid in Spain?

In principle, yes: it is recognized within the European Union. Make sure it names the active ingredient; the Spanish pharmacist may still refuse if in doubt, and some medicines are excluded.

Is Nolotil sold over the counter in Spain?

No. In the Spanish register, all metamizole products, Nolotil included, are con receta: prescription only.

What to take away

1. Think in active ingredients, not brands. "Paracetamol", "ibuprofeno", "levotiroxina" open the right doors; "Doliprane" or "Advil" open none.
2. Same brand does not mean same product: Gaviscon changes formula, Efferalgan changes status, Dalsy changes concentration.
3. Sometimes the answer is "it doesn't exist here" (Spasfon, Smecta, Vogalib, Biafine), and it is better to know before you leave.
4. A French prescription is recognized in principle within the European Union; make sure it names the active ingredient.

That is the lookup Kayu does for French and Spanish boxes: scan the medicine, consult the information from its official leaflet, and see what the other country's register publishes, including when there is nothing.

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This article describes what health authorities (ANSM, AEMPS) publish as of the date shown; it is not medical advice and does not replace your medicine's package leaflet. A product's absence from the Spanish register means it is not authorized there, nothing more. For any question about a treatment, talk to a pharmacist or doctor. The compositions cited are those published in the registers as of the date shown. The brands mentioned (Doliprane, Nurofen, Dalsy, Eutirox, Gaviscon, Biafine, Bexidermil, Spasfon, Smecta, Nolotil…) are the property of their respective owners and are named only to identify the products; Kayu is not affiliated with any manufacturer.