The situation is not quite as it is in the big cities in Thailand. But also in Vientiane there are really many pharmacies. Just look around and we’re sure you’ll find one. If not, head to one of the hospitals. Usually there are many opposite to each hospital. The good thing about pharmacies is that you usually can’t only buy drugs, but also get a good deal of advice. For smaller health problems, they are therefore a good point of contact. Unfortunately in contrast to Thailand, it is more likely that nobody in the pharmacy speaks English well but the probability is not that high. More often than not, there is staff who speaks some English. Still, if the language barrier is too heavy, just go to another pharmacy or ask a local for help. There’s always a solution and if you are nice, people usually want to help. In many cases it is not necessary to go to a hospital. A pharmacy may save you a lot of stress.