Price hikes push Lebanese to apothecaries

STORY: Apothecaries are making

a comeback in Lebanon

Location: Tripoli, Lebanon

The craft dates back thousands of years

and uses herbs, spices and

natural oils to treat ailments

APOTHECARIST, MOHAMMAD ABADEEN:

“With regards to medicine, if you see this alternative medicine that people are talking about, I’d like to say something about it. When prices started to increase people started to resort to this kind of medicine. This happened for two reasons, first for the financial aspect and the second aspect is because of the religious and cultural awareness that people now have.”

The government warns remedies

don't go through standardized testing

and unregulated doses could cause harm

PHARMACIST, OMAR AL-ALI, SAYING:

“Even in the good days, people were using alternative medicine, which is also known as the Arabic medicine, herbal medicine, and apothecaries, what our grandfathers used to use. Now and then, people have been going to these places. It used to be very minor, but now it is slowly increasing as people are escaping the extreme cost of medicine. Today those with meagre incomes can’t even purchase just one box of medicine.”