Doctors, Dentists & Pharmacies (Non-Urgent)
This page is for the ordinary stuff: a cold that won’t go away, a prescription you forgot at home, a toothache, a check-up. For anything life-threatening, stop reading and see Medical Emergency.
The short version
- Regular appointment: book on Doctolib
- Urgent, or evenings / weekends / holidays: call 15
- Minor problem: walk into a pharmacy and ask the pharmacist
Emergency numbers (reminder)
| Number | What it is |
|---|---|
| 15 | SAMU, the medical emergency line. Also the number for the on-call GP out of hours |
| 112 | European emergency number. Works from any phone, including foreign SIMs. Easiest for visitors to remember |
| 114 | Emergency line by text message (SMS), for people who can’t speak on the phone |
The nearest hospital with an emergency department is the CHIVA at Saint-Jean-de-Verges, just north of Foix. Address, phone and directions are on the Medical Emergency page.
Seeing a GP (médecin généraliste)
Booking
Doctolib (website or app, English interface available) is how most people book a doctor in France.
- Create an account (phone number + email).
- Search “médecin généraliste” near Foix (09000).
- Sort or filter by earliest availability (“Prochaine disponibilité”).
- Pick a slot. You’ll get a confirmation by SMS/email, and a reminder the day before.
Many GPs here won’t take new long-term patients, but they will usually see someone for a one-off visit. If Doctolib shows nothing, phone practices directly. The maisons de santé (group practices) are the best bet: there are 19 of them covering the whole of Ariège, and a receptionist can often squeeze you in where the online calendar says “complet”.
Video consultation
Doctolib and services like Qare offer téléconsultation (video calls with a doctor), often available the same day. The doctor can issue a prescription you then take to any pharmacy. Good for prescription renewals, rashes, minor infections, travel-related questions.
Long-term residents: declare a médecin traitant
If you’re in the French health system (Carte Vitale), you should register a médecin traitant (declared regular GP). Without one, reimbursements from the Assurance Maladie are lower. In practice this means asking around and calling practices, because GPs are scarce in Ariège. Once a doctor agrees, they file the declaration for you at the first appointment.
What to bring
- Photo ID
- Carte Vitale if you have one, or your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) if you’re an EU visitor
- A list of medications you’re on, and any allergies
- Your travel-insurance details if you’re from outside the EU
Evenings, weekends and public holidays
Ariège has full out-of-hours GP cover (permanence des soins ambulatoires, PDSA).
- Call 15. The operator triages your call and either gives advice, sends you to the on-call doctor (médecin de garde), or sends help.
- 116 117 is the national out-of-hours GP number. It is still being rolled out, so if it doesn’t connect, use 15.
- Weekday daytime, for something urgent but not life-threatening (stitches, a sprain, a high fever), the CASI immediate-care clinic in Foix takes walk-ins. Details on the Medical Emergency page.
Pharmacie de garde (on-call pharmacy)
Outside normal opening hours one pharmacy in the area is always on duty.
- Call 3237 (automated line, “pharmacie de garde”, by postcode: 09000) or check 3237.fr.
- The on-call pharmacy is also posted on the door of every pharmacy.
- Out of hours you may need to ring a bell at a side window, and a small honoraire de garde (a few euros) is added to the bill.
The regular pharmacy we use in Foix (Pharmacie du Jardin) is listed on the Medical Emergency page.
Ask the pharmacist first
French pharmacists can handle a lot of minor problems directly: colds, hay fever, insect bites, mild stomach upsets, blisters, minor burns, contraception, and advice on whether you really need a doctor. No appointment needed, and it’s free to ask.
Dentists (dentiste)
Weekdays
- Book on Doctolib or phone local practices.
- On Doctolib, start typing dent and pick “Chirurgien-dentiste”. That is the official title for every general dentist in France (check-ups, fillings, toothache). The other suggestions are specialities: dentiste pédiatrique (children), blanchiment des dents (whitening), chirurgien des dents de sagesse (wisdom teeth). If it hurts and you need to be seen today, also try “Urgence dentaire”, which some practices use for their same-day emergency slots.
- If it hurts, say it’s an urgence. Dentists are expected to fit in genuine emergencies (abscess, broken tooth, severe pain), even for non-patients.
Sundays and public holidays
- Ariège runs an on-call dental service (dentiste de garde), daytime only.
- To find out which dentist is on call, phone 15 or 17.
- There is no on-call dentist at night. A serious dental problem overnight (heavy bleeding, swelling that affects breathing or swallowing, trauma) goes to the CHIVA emergency department.
Until you’re seen: paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain, a salt-water rinse, and a cold compress on the cheek for swelling. Any pharmacy sells temporary filling kits and dental wax.
Paying
| Who you are | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Visitor from outside the EU (US, UK, etc.) | Pay upfront. A GP visit is modest, roughly €30; a dentist consultation is similar before any treatment. Claim it back from your travel insurance. |
| EU visitor | Show your EHIC card. You pay the same as a French patient and the reimbursement is handled between systems. Some practices still ask you to pay and claim back. |
| Resident with Carte Vitale | Standard French coverage. Reimbursement is higher if you’ve declared a médecin traitant. |
In every case, keep the feuille de soins (the brown treatment form) or the receipt. Without it you can’t claim.
Most practices take cards; a few rural ones are cash or cheque only, so ask when you book.
Useful vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| médecin généraliste | GP / family doctor |
| médecin traitant | your declared regular GP |
| médecin de garde | on-call doctor |
| chirurgien-dentiste | dentist (the official title for any general dentist) |
| dentiste de garde | on-call dentist |
| pharmacie de garde | on-call pharmacy |
| maison de santé | group medical practice |
| téléconsultation | video consultation |
| ordonnance | prescription |
| feuille de soins | treatment form (for reimbursement) |
| urgence | emergency / urgent |
| ”J’ai besoin d’un rendez-vous, c’est urgent." | "I need an appointment, it’s urgent." |
| "Avez-vous une disponibilité aujourd’hui ?" | "Do you have anything available today?” |
Sources
- ARS Occitanie, Ariège health overview (maisons de santé count, PDSA and on-call dental cover)
- CHIVA hospital group
- Dentaly, finding an on-call dentist in France
- Numbers (15, 112, 114, 116 117, 3237) are national services. Last reviewed 2026-10-12.