Learn Hardcore Romanian: La farmacie scrie că acest medicament este fără rețetă și nu ai nevoie de programare. - At the pharmacy it says that this medicine is without prescription and you do not need an appointment.

La farmacie = more general: at the pharmacy (as a location, in front of it, in it, as an institution)
În farmacie = specifically inside the pharmacy

For a sign or written notice, La farmacie scrie... sounds natural: it’s about what’s written there as a general location.

What does scrie mean here? It looks like “writes”, but English would say “it says”.

scrie is the 3rd person singular of a scrie (to write), so literally it means (it) writes.

However, in this impersonal construction La farmacie scrie..., the natural English translation is:

At the pharmacy it says that...
or
At the pharmacy it is written that...

Romanian uses scrie in signs, instructions, notices, labels, etc., similarly to:

Pe cutie scrie că... = On the box it says that…
În contract scrie că... = In the contract it says that…

More “literal-passive” Romanian would be Este scris la farmacie că..., but that sounds heavier and less natural in everyday language. La farmacie scrie că... is the normal, idiomatic choice.

What is the role of că in scrie că acest medicament...?

că is a conjunction meaning that in this context.

scrie că acest medicament este...
= it says that this medicine is...

Just like in English, că introduces a subordinate clause (what is written/said).

Unlike English, in Romanian you cannot normally drop că here. English can say:

It says this medicine is over the counter. (dropping “that”)

Romanian needs:

✅ scrie că acest medicament este...
❌ scrie acest medicament este... (incorrect/unnatural)

So, keep că after reporting verbs like scrie, zice, spune, crede, etc., when they introduce a clause.

Why is it acest medicament and not something like medicamentul acesta? Are they different?

Both mean this medicine, but they differ in structure and style:

acest medicament = this medicine (demonstrative before the noun)
medicamentul acesta = this medicine (demonstrative after the noun)

They are both correct. Nuances:

acest medicament
- slightly more neutral/formal or written style
- often used in explanations, instructions, labels
medicamentul acesta
- very common in spoken language
- often has a bit more emphasis: “this medicine (here)” as opposed to another one

In your sentence, acest medicament fits well because it sounds like what you’d find in written information about a specific drug.

What is the difference between este and e in acest medicament este fără rețetă?

Both este and e mean is (3rd person singular of a fi = to be).

este = full form, slightly more formal or neutral
e = shortened form, very common in speech and informal writing

In your sentence:

acest medicament este fără rețetă
acest medicament e fără rețetă

Both are correct. On a written notice or formal text, este is more likely. In everyday conversation, e is extremely common.

Why is it fără rețetă and not fără o rețetă?

fără (without) is often followed by a bare noun (without an article) when you mean “without any …” in general:

fără rețetă = without (a) prescription / prescription-free / over the counter
fără zahăr = without sugar
fără bani = without money

fără o rețetă is possible, but then you’re emphasizing a specific one or one single prescription, which is less natural here.

On a sign or general information, fără rețetă is the standard phrase, equivalent to English over-the-counter or available without prescription.

What exactly does ai nevoie de mean, and why do we need de?

a avea nevoie de = to need (literally to have need of)

ai = you have (2nd person singular of a avea)
nevoie = need
de = of

So ai nevoie de programare = you need an appointment (literally: you have need of appointment).

The de is part of the fixed structure a avea nevoie de + noun / verb:

am nevoie de apă = I need water
ai nevoie de ajutor = you need help
avem nevoie de tine = we need you

When negated:

nu ai nevoie de programare = you don’t need an appointment
The de stays; you only add nu before the verb.

Why does the sentence say nu ai nevoie de programare instead of something with trebuie?

There are two slightly different ideas:

nu ai nevoie de programare = you don’t need an appointment
nu trebuie să faci o programare = you don’t have to make an appointment

In practice, they often overlap. But:

a avea nevoie de focuses on need / necessity in terms of requirement
trebuie is “must / have to”, more about obligation

For an informational sentence about rules at a pharmacy, nu ai nevoie de programare is very natural: it tells you no appointment is required.

Equivalent variants might be:

Nu este nevoie de programare. = An appointment is not necessary.
Nu trebuie programare. (colloquial) = No appointment is needed.

What does programare mean here? Is it like English program?

programare here means appointment.

Typical uses:

o programare la medic = a doctor’s appointment
am programare la ora 10 = I have an appointment at 10
fără programare = without appointment / walk-in

It is not “program” in the sense of TV program / computer program:

TV/computer program = program (Romanian)
appointment = programare

So in your sentence, nu ai nevoie de programare = you don’t need an appointment.

Why is it nu ai nevoie de programare with ai (you, singular)? Wouldn’t a notice normally use a different form?

ai is 2nd person singular (tu ai = you have). In a real notice at a pharmacy, Romanian usually avoids direct “tu” and uses more impersonal forms, for politeness and generality:

Common on notices:

Nu este nevoie de programare. = It is not necessary to have an appointment.
Se eliberează fără rețetă. = It is dispensed without prescription.

Your sentence is perfectly grammatical, but stylistically it sounds more like:

someone explaining to a friend:
La farmacie scrie că acest medicament este fără rețetă și nu ai nevoie de programare.
= At the pharmacy it says this medicine is over the counter and you don’t need an appointment.

If you wanted a polite “you (plural/formal)”, it would be:

nu aveți nevoie de programare = you (plural/formal) don’t need an appointment.

Where exactly does the “you” come from in nu ai nevoie de programare, since tu isn’t written?

Romanian is a pro-drop language: the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb ending already shows the person.

(Tu) ai nevoie de programare.
- tu = you (singular)
- ai = you have

The ai ending clearly marks 2nd person singular, so tu is usually left out unless you want to emphasize it:

Tu nu ai nevoie de programare, dar el are.
You don’t need an appointment, but he does.

In your sentence, nu ai nevoie automatically means you (singular) don’t need.

Is the word order acest medicament este fără rețetă fixed, or can we say it differently?

Romanian word order is flexible, and several versions are correct, with small differences in emphasis:

Acest medicament este fără rețetă.
Neutral: This medicine is over the counter.
Medicamentul acesta este fără rețetă.
Same meaning; sounds more like spoken language or a slight emphasis on this particular medicine.
Este fără rețetă acest medicament.
Less common, sounds more emphatic or stylistic: It’s over the counter, this medicine.

The version in your sentence, acest medicament este fără rețetă, is a very standard, neutral word order, especially in explanations or written information.

How does the whole sentence literally break down, word by word?

La – at
farmacie – pharmacy
scrie – (it) writes / it says
că – that
acest – this
medicament – medicine / drug
este – is
fără – without
rețetă – prescription
și – and
nu – not
ai – you have
nevoie – need
de – of
programare – appointment

Literal-ish reconstruction:
At pharmacy it says that this medicine is without prescription and you do not have need of appointment.

Natural English:
At the pharmacy, it says that this medicine is over the counter and you don’t need an appointment.