A historic natural medicine pharmacy in Sancti Spíritus has ceased to offer the traditional remedies that defined it for decades, according to a report by 14ymedio published this Sunday.
At the counters where passionflower, lime tree, and other medicinal preparations were once dispensed, small plastic containers of shampoo, dyes, peroxide, detergent, and mosquito repellent are now lined up.
The establishment, located at 38 Sur Máximo Gómez Street, across from the Main Parish Church, occupies a restored 18th-century building that was refurbished in 1986 with the specific purpose of recovering traditional Cuban medicines and furnishing it with décor inspired by old colonial apothecaries.
A regular neighbor of the area reported to the independent newspaper that after finding the store closed on several occasions, she managed to enter this week and discovered that the remedies she was looking for had disappeared.
"This pharmacy has always existed, as long as I can remember, with natural products that were in demand by the community," said the woman, who regularly came to buy passionflower and linden for her mother.
The neighbor described the current merchandise as "creole" products—locally made and artisanal—packaged in small plastic bottles with rudimentary labels: "Now they sell products that look like they are creole, such as shampoo, dyes, peroxide, detergents, and mosquito repellent."
His assessment was clear: "I have nothing against them selling those things, but losing access to natural medicines is something I really dislike."
The newspaper photos display long rows of colorful containers atop the old dark wooden furniture. Behind the glass display cases, ceramic jars with inscriptions of medicinal plants remain, reduced to little more than decoration in a space that no longer serves its original purpose.
The case is not isolated. In September 2026, the Peralta Pharmacy in Holguín also appeared transformed into a sort of variety store, with privately sold products on consignment and barely a few bottles of eye drops as its pharmaceutical offering. In July 2025, a pharmacy in Matanzas showcased empty shelves and a closed laboratory. "They don't have bottles, they don't have anything," summed up a consumer at that time.
The deterioration has structural roots. In September 2024, pharmaceutical authorities in Camagüey acknowledged the impossibility of obtaining basic supplies such as garlic, onion, oregano, aloe, sugar, and alcohol to produce syrups, extracts, and creams. The national production of natural medicines reached only 56% of what was planned in July 2025.
The overall situation is equally serious. The Cuban government admitted in August 2026 that only about 30% of the Basic Drug List was available, with approximately 461 out of 651 essential medicines in deficit. Sancti Spíritus recorded more than 300 missing medications in June 2026.
In the absence of the State, the Catholic Church has taken on a role that should belong to the public health system. Just a short walk from the old pharmacy on Máximo Gómez Street, the Main Parish Church distributes medication for free every Saturday to chronic illness sufferers with prescriptions for treating hypertension, diabetes, and other ailments.
Whoever enters the historic pharmacy in Sancti Spíritus today in search of a remedy may leave, at best, with a bottle of shampoo.
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