Gate-area meds run: Pharmacy at Félix-Houphouët-Boigny (ABJ)
This small Pharmacy in the terminal at ABJ is one of the few places airside where you can grab over-the-counter painkillers, motion-sickness tablets, and basic first-aid supplies before a long-haul. It sits post-security in the main passenger area serving T1/T2, so you don’t have to backtrack to the public zone once you’re past screening.
Stock usually covers standard travel needs: paracetamol and ibuprofen, bandages, antiseptic cream, rehydration salts, and a limited set of cold remedies you recognize from European and African brands. Prices run higher than downtown Abidjan pharmacies, but still reasonable for an airport, with small blister packs typically in the 1,500–3,000 XOF range.
The Pharmacy keeps airport-style hours, generally opening from first departures around 05:00 until the last evening wave around 22:00, though exact times can drift with flight schedules. If you land late on an intra-Africa evening flight and connect onward, it’s often the only place open for last-minute meds before you board again.
Staff usually speak at least some French and basic English, enough for you to explain a headache, stomach issue, or allergies and get an appropriate over-the-counter option. Prescription fulfillment is hit-or-miss; don’t bank on refilling anything complex, and carry ongoing meds in your hand luggage rather than counting on buying them here.
Tip: bring a photo of your usual medicine or its generic name and ask for the active ingredient, not the brand; labels and product names in Côte d’Ivoire often differ from what you see in Europe or North America.