There are about 2,000 customers who go to the Vatican pharmacy every day: such a large number that it has made it necessary to introduce numbered tickets and displays to dispose of the queues in an orderly manner. But it is only one of the innovations introduced, as mentioned in an article in the Osservatore Romano. "It's the whole organization that we have tried to improve to make the service to the public more functional and to give even greater serenity to the staff", explains Brother Raffaele, of the Fatebenefratelli, director of the Pharmacy for about three years now. «The real highlight is the complete renovation of the galenic laboratory. Born with the same pharmacy, in fact, it hadn't been affected by the various renovations".
One of the most frequent questions that customers ask is whether the receipt from the Vatican pharmacy can be deducted from taxes. "We asked the Italian Ministry of Finance for guidance," explains Fra Raffaele. "They sent us a circular in which they confirmed the possibility of deducting the expenses for medicines prescribed and purchased in our pharmacy from the tax return".
Pharmacist33 – 12 October 2011
Vatican Pharmacy
In 1874, Fra Eusebio Ludvig Fronmen, former director of the pharmacy in the San Giovanni di Dio hospital on the Tiber Island, set up the first Vatican pharmacy at the request of the then Secretary of State, Cardinal Antonelli.
In 1892 the first community of the Fatebenefratelli settled permanently in the Vatican City and in 1917 the pharmacy was transferred near the Porta di S.Anna.
In 1929, after the Lateran Pacts, the Vatican Pharmacy was moved to a more suitable location, in the Belvedere Palace where it still resides today.
TIMETABLES
weekday hours: 8.30-18.00; Saturday: 8.30-13.00;
summer time (from 1 July to 31 August): 8.30-15.00; Saturday: 8.30-13.00
HOW TO ACCESS THE PHARMACY The acc
