Chemists
There are chemists everywhere but be warned, most of the white-coated employees will sometimes sell you medication which could be too strong for your symptoms. Otherwise, they're super useful and helpful local shops.
Although China has embraced Western medicine, most medicine will be Chinese brands, which more often than not do the trick. For simpler and more mild conditions, such as a sore throat, some of the simpler medicine may be ineffective.
In fact, for half of the conditions, even mild, Chinese people make a path to their nearest hospital, get meds and spend hours taking Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy), or 'the drip'. This 'quick solution' to feeling unwell is a shocker to many foreigners as in the West it is only administered in cases of extreme emergency where food nourishment cannot rectify the condition of the patient.
TCM
That said, the availability of traditional medicines in China is widespread, very well organised and reputable traditional chemists can be easily found. In many cases, using TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is a very good method of curing softer ailments. You'll need to see a TCM doctor, who will prescribe a TCM mixture, which you then show at a TCM chemist and you then cook and take at home (yes, I did say cook... most herbal TCM remedies are a collection of herbs which must be boiled to an exact balance and timing to be effective and usually taken as a hot drink). TCM is a wonderous part of Chinese culture which needs more appreciation.
Hospitals
Chinese hospitals are huge, busy, chaotic places with a lobby of several dozen cashiers who collect the various charges from patients, for seeing a doctor, paying for medicines, using a drip (they love the drip), and on and on. It is advisable to get a Chinese friend to help you out if you need to visit the hospital as they can be very confusing places. It's quite complex and difficult to fully describe in this article.
There are however, young nurse students who lurk around the main hall giving assistance to anyone lost in the myriad of corridors, long queues or cashier points. They may be able to help you.
If you need to stay in the hospital for some time, you'll need a hospital bed. Here, you can pay exclusively for a private room or go for a 3-bed room. Chinese hospitals don't really do wards like many Western style older hospitals. You'll have a long corridor with many shared rooms. You'll need someone to come look after you and arrange your meals.
Obviously, we hope you won't ever need any of the above info. It makes sense to always have some kind of travel insurance. International hospitals are probably your best bet in all major cities if you need serious treatment. Treatments and medical knowledge has come a long way in recent years in China.
