Vatican: This pharmacy is particularly looking forward to the new Pope

On Thursday at 6 p.m., the moment had come: White smoke rose from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. The new pontiff had been elected. It is 69-year-old Robert F. Prevost from the USA, who now calls himself Leo XIV. He thus succeeds Francis, who died on Easter Monday. And this is especially important for a Pharmacy : the Farmacia Vaticana.

With an area of ​​0.44 square kilometers, Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Yet, according to the Vatican, its pharmacy is visited by more than 2,000 people daily, making it one of the busiest in the world. More than half of the visitors come from outside the Vatican.

The pharmacy covers an area of ​​1,000 square meters, divided into various areas, including a large sales area, underground storage rooms, and offices. According to the Vatican, it stocks 40,000 products, including medicines, dietary supplements, and hygiene and skin care products.

But not all medications are available at the pharmacy. Contraceptives, abortifacients, and other medications that violate Catholic moral teaching are not dispensed at the Vatican pharmacy. Vatican expert Ulrich Nersinger said this in an interview with the Cologne Archdiocese's Domradio.de portal.

Because the Vatican is not a member of the European Union, different regulations apply to pharmaceuticals. As a result, the Vatican Pharmacy also sells medications manufactured in other countries, such as the United States, that are not approved in the EU. Furthermore, there is no VAT in the Vatican, which means that medications are significantly cheaper there than in Italian pharmacies.

To shop at the Vatican Pharmacy, you need an ID card and, if necessary, a doctor's prescription. At the passport office, you will receive a visitor's pass that allows you to enter the pharmacy. Since the pharmacy is very busy, you will need to purchase a ticket from a vending machine.