Pharmacies nationwide stage medicine collection for residents in poverty
Monday, February 16, 2015 @ 11:12 AM
PHARMACIES across Spain staged a collection of medication on Saturday for residents who have little or no income and cannot afford basic over-the-counter drugs.
A total of 550 chemist's shops took part, managing to amass over 35,000 types of medication thanks to the generosity of customers agreeing to put their hands in their pockets and fund small extra purchases.
Those most needed are anti-inflammatories, non-prescription painkillers, sticking plasters, cough medicine, cold and 'flu treatment, and sterilising fluid such as surgical spirit or baby-bottle cleaning liquid.
All items collected will be distributed among the branches of the Red Cross or the charity for the poor, Cáritas, in the towns where they were purchased by customers.
These charities will then hand them out to residents who cannot afford basic necessities such as food, water and electricity, let alone pharmaceutical goods to ease pain and discomfort.
Most of the people in need who are helped by Cáritas and the Red Cross are ordinary families whose adult members have not been able to find work since being made redundant and whose dole money entitlement has run out.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com