Prices of medicines push Lebanese to apothecaries - in pictures

Demand for plant-based alternatives or herbal remedies is on the rise

Nearly three years into Lebanon's economic meltdown, demand for plant-based alternative or herbal medicine is on the rise. All photos: Reuters

Apothecarist Kamal Al-Shahal, whose family has been selling plant-based remedies for more than a century, stands inside his shop in Tripoli, northern Lebanon June 6, 2022. Picture taken June 6, 2022. REUTERS / Emilie Madi

The craft dates back thousands of years and practitioners use herbs, spices and natural oils to treat ailments.

'When prices started to increase people started to resort to this kind of medicine,' says Mohammad Abadeen (pictured). '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 regularly gives warnings that such remedies don't go through standardised testing and unregulated doses could cause harm.

'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,' says Omar Al Rafie (pictured).

'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,' he continues.

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