Have you ever wondered what your pharmacist would buy for a cold, sore throat, or cough? We did too, so we sent KSFY's Caitlin Haedicke to find out.

Brian Oyen's method of choosing medicine seems simple.

"As far as I'm concerned, the nicer the box, the better it should be," said Brian Oyen, a Target customer.

But with so many choices, it can be easy to pick the wrong one.

"A lot of times many different brands will have the same ingredients, but still it's definitely easy to pick the wrong thing so just ask somebody if you have a question on what to find," said Paul Rumpca, a Walmart pharmacist.

So that's what's we did. Asked two pharmacists about winters most common illnesses, starting with the most annoying.

"If you just have a sore throat, I would recommend probably doing some cough drops. Just a topical anapestic to help kind of numb the throat," said Rumpca.

Paul Rumpca , a pharmacist at Walmart says when choosing a cough drop, he always reaches for one with menthol. Another option says Christine Burg, a pharmacist at Target, is Tylenol to reduce the swelling and pain of a sore throat.

"There is liquid Tylenol, which is extra strength, so when people actually have that sore throat, they don't have to try to swallow a tablet," stated Christine Burg, a pharmacist at Target.

So now, what about if your having trouble breathing?

"Just a stuffed up nose, I would just go with a plain Sudafed. Which the Sudafed cards there, you just take it up to the counter and we have to log the sale of it and run it through the register back here," said Rumpca.

It may seem like a hassle, but the alternative, Sudafed P.E.,wont have the same effect.

"Doesn't seem to work as well for the stuffy head. I usually recommend that they try to get the actual Sudafed that is back behind the counter," said Burg.

Then there's the common cold which almost everyone catches, including pharmacists. So what do they reach for?

"A lot of time I say just one pill that has everything in it, so that way you're not going to duplicate any therapy there at all so you don't have to worry about doubling up on your medicines," stated Rumpca.

Both pharmacists recommended Tylenol Cold Multi-symptom.

But what about when your kids get sick? Last month's recall of infant cold medicine has left the shelves kind of empty, so pharmacists are recommending that you talk to your doctor.

There's one last debate to settle, are the generics just as effective as the originals?

"I always recommend going with the generic. It's the same active ingredients, the cost benefit is there, you're saving a lot of money," said Burg.

"We always try to put the generic right next to the actual brand name," said Rumpca.

Both pharmacists agree, as does Brian who doesn't mind saving a little money.

"As far as I can tell, the active ingredients are probably the same thing and if it saves going to save me a couple bucks, I'll save the couple dollars," said Oyen.

Both pharmacists also recommend when in doubt, just ask a pharmacist or your doctor.

Other recommendations:

Flu: You just have to treat the symptoms, almost the same as a cold.  Tylenol Cold and Flu was recommended by both pharmacists.  They also recommend getting a flu shot, if you haven't already!

Cough: If you are looking for something that lasts a long time, both pharmacists recommend Delsym.  It comes in a 12-hour formula.  Otherwise, Robitussin is your best choice.

Zinc: Just a little note.  If you take Zinc within the first 24 hours of feeling sick, it can usually help keep a cold at bay, or shorten its duration.