Pharmacy in El Salvador

Sorry for the delay, as Emily has said, the internet situation is not ideal on the ship. In addition, google had decided that because I am in Central America, I must be able to speak spanish. So all of my google pages load in spanish...I'll do my best to continue posting!

18 Julio 2011

Last night at dinner I met up with Emily after our day out at the separate MedOps sites. She had just come to the Galley from the pharmacy and told me that I might be going on a pharmacy tour in a nearby town the next day. After a few phone calls by the pharmacists, I was cleared to go. The four of us left at 0745 in a taxi with a Police escort. I really never thought I would be in a position to have a police escort, but it happened today! I was with two doctors form the US Air Force and a pharmacist from the Netherlands. After a 25 minute ride, we arrived at the Sonsonate Hospital in one of the nearby towns. The hospital itself was actually very beautiful. There were lots of folering plants on the property and the building was one of the cleanest I have seen in the country thus far. However, some of the larger rooms with 10-20 patients each were not air conditioned and you could tell that some of the patients were uncomfortable. We made our way down to the pharmacy to ask them some questions about their products and services. This particular pharmacy actually had a substantial variety of medications, but they often experience shortages.

We had a chance to sit down with the pharmacist and go over some questions with her. Members of the USNS Comfort crew tour pharmacies in each country to see what medications as well as what services are abailable for citizens. This information is given to the providers who prescribe medications at the MedOp sites. This allows them to make proper recommendations so that their patients can continue treatment after the Comfort's mission here is complete.

After our hospital tour, we went across to a retail pharmacy. These are completely different than anything in the US. Patients can get nearly any medication without a prescription. They simply walk inside, tell the individuals behind the counter their symptoms, and walk out with what is deemed to be the proper medication. It is definitely an interesting system with fewer regulations than what we have in the United States. Below is a picture of just a few of the drugs available at the retail site, with the previously mentioned Dutch pharmacist in the background.

We left the retail site and had lunch in town before heading back to the ship. We invited our police friends and taxi driver to eat with us. I really have to say, everyone we have met in El Salvador has been wonderful. Even with the language barrier, you can tell the people are very friendly and really are happy to see us here. The policemen recommended a Mexican restaurant and it was delicious. I have attached a photo of my fajitas. It was nice to eat a meal outside of the noise and bustle of the ship's galley. Tomorrow I will be out for another MedOp and will try to blog about the experience soon!