Polish · Apteka / e-recepta
At the pharmacy they offer a cheaper alternative to the prescription medicine: what to say in Polish
At the pharmacy you are offered a cheaper equivalent of the prescribed medicine.
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How it's done. A zamiennik is a cheaper equivalent with the same active substance; refundacja is the partial payment of medicines by the NFZ with a prescription; ask the pharmacist whether there is a cheaper substitute.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
YOU START
Przepraszam, dlaczego ten lek jest drogi? Mam receptę.
Psheh-PRAH-shuhm, dluh-CHEH-goh tayn lek yehst DROH-gee? Mahm reh-TSEP-teh.
Excuse me, why is this medicine expensive? I have a prescription.
Or say:Przepraszam, czy ten lek można dostać taniej?
Psheh-PRAH-shuhm, chih tayn lek MOZH-nuh DOS-tuhtsy TAH-nyay?
THEY SAY
To lek oryginalny. Mamy tańszy zamiennik z tą samą substancją.Toh lek oh-rih-gee-NAHL-nih. MAH-mih TAHN-shih zuh-MYAYN-neek s tom SAH-mom soops-TAHNTS-yom.
This is the original medicine. We have a cheaper substitute with the same substance.
They might also say:
Możemy zaproponować zamiennik, który kosztuje mniej.
Moh-ZHEH-mih zuh-proh-poh-NOH-vuhtsy zuh-MYAYN-neek, KTOO-rih kosh-TOO-eh mnyay.
We can offer a substitute that costs less.
2
YOU REPLY
Czy zamiennik działa tak samo?
Chih zuh-MYAYN-neek DZYAH-vuh tahk SAH-moh?
Does the substitute work the same way?
THEY SAY
Tak, ma tę samą substancję czynną. Lekarz zwykle się na to zgadza.Tahk, mah teh SAH-mom soops-TAHN-tsyeh CHIHN-nom. LEH-kuhsh ZVIH-kleh syeh nuh toh ZGAHD-zuh.
Yes, it has the same active substance. The doctor usually agrees to that.
3
YOU REPLY
A czy są leki refundowane?
Uh chih som LEH-kee reh-foon-doh-VAH-neh?
And are there reimbursed medicines?
THEY SAY
Tak, na recepcie jest poziom refundacji. Płaci pan tylko część ceny.Tahk, nuh reh-TSEP-tsyeh yehst POH-zyom reh-foon-DAH-tsyee. PVAH-tsee pahn TIL-koh chaynsytsy TSEH-nih.
Yes, the level of reimbursement is on the prescription. You pay only part of the price.
4
YOU FINISH
Dziękuję za wyjaśnienie!
Dzyayn-KOO-eh zah vih-ahsy-NYEH-nyeh!
Thank you for the explanation!
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Polish for life in Poland”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Przepraszam
Psheh-PRAH-shuhm
verb
excuse me, sorry
dlaczego
dluh-CHEH-goh
adverb
why
lek
lek
noun
medicine
jest
yehst
verb
is
drogi
DROH-gee
noun
road (genitive)
Mam
Mahm
verb
I have
39 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Proszę powtórzyć.
PROH-sheh pof-TOO-zhitsy.
Please repeat that.
Proszę mówić wolniej.
PROH-sheh MOO-veetsy VOL-nyay.
Please speak more slowly.
Co to znaczy?
Tsoh toh ZNAH-chih?
What does this mean?
Similar situations
Your child has a temperature and you ask the pharmacy for something to bring it downApteka / e-recepta · A2 in the app
→You bring an electronic prescription to the pharmacyApteka / e-recepta · A1 in the app
→You ask for something for a headacheApteka / e-recepta · A2 in the app
→The pharmacist explains how to take the medicineApteka / e-recepta · A2 in the app
→Found a mistake? Write to us and we will fix it. This is language help, not medical or legal advice.Report