Isabella Piro, Piotr Kowalczuk
Increasingly dangerous heatwaves
Over the past three months, Europe has recorded more than 16,000 more deaths than projected. Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth—temperatures are rising at twice the global average. However, extreme heat is becoming an increasing threat to public health worldwide, posing new challenges to healthcare systems, especially regarding the most vulnerable social groups.
The risk of wildfires is also growing, which worsens air quality, causes damage to critical infrastructure, and degrades the environment. The Vatican Pharmacy, established in 1874 by the will of Blessed Pius IX, has increased the availability of hydration products, electrolyte replacement supplements, protective creams, and other products helpful during heatwaves.
How to protect yourself against the heat?
The pharmacy staff places special emphasis on counseling because, as its director emphasizes, proper information is often the best form of prevention. “Prevention remains the most effective medicine. Our goal is not merely to dispense medications, but to accompany each person with appropriate advice.” The pharmacy employees remind us of a few basic rules: avoid staying in the sun during the hottest hours of the day, keep indoor temperatures as low as possible, drink water regularly—even when you do not feel thirsty—and follow a light diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
The pharmacy supports the poor
The Vatican Pharmacy also collaborates with two free outpatient clinics—”Madre di Misericordia” and “San Martino”—operating under the colonnade of St. Peter’s Square. They are run by the Dicastery for the Service of Charity. It provides medications prescribed to patients of these facilities, enabling the continuation of therapy for individuals in particularly difficult financial and social situations. “No one should abandon treatment for financial reasons. Health is a fundamental right, and human dignity always stands above all other considerations,” emphasizes Brother Mulackal.
Individual approach
Every day, the Vatican Pharmacy welcomes Vatican employees, residents, consecrated persons, representatives of ecclesiastical institutions, and pilgrims. Thousands of medicines and medical products are dispensed daily. However, the director points out that more important than statistics is the individual approach: behind every prescription, request, or piece of advice lies a specific human story that deserves attention, respect, and acceptance.
Technology cannot replace humans
Since 2019, the Vatican Pharmacy has been developing the automation of logistics and warehouse processes. Modern systems are intended to increase safety, the accuracy of drug management, and the speed of their storage and distribution. “However, technology never replaces humans. On the contrary, it should allow our collaborators to devote more time to listening to and accompanying those who use the pharmacy,” the director notes.
Tradition of galenic medicines
An important part of the Vatican Pharmacy’s activity remains galenic medicines and preparations, prepared on-site using plant, animal, or natural raw materials in accordance with traditional recipes. They allow therapy to be tailored to the specific needs of the patient, especially when appropriate industrially manufactured products do not exist. Products bearing the Vatican Pharmacy brand are also enjoying growing interest, including plant extract-based capsules, spirulina preparations, tinctures, and herbal teas. The pharmacy’s historical products, such as Stomaticon mouthwash and traditional lavender and cologne waters, also remain available.
True care is born from encounter
The director also recalls the experience of the Jubilee Year 2025, when the Vatican Pharmacy served thousands of pilgrims from around the world. As he emphasizes, behind every request for medication or advice lay a story, suffering, and hope. The pharmacy’s mission has been associated from the beginning with the charism of the Hospitaller Brothers of Saint John of God, who were entrusted with its management.
The charism of Saint John of God means placing the human being at the center and welcoming everyone with respect, compassion, and professionalism. “It is not just about dispensing medications, but about promoting health, accompanying the suffering, and offering closeness, comfort, and hope,” says Brother Mulackal. He also recalls the words of Pope Francis, who on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Vatican Pharmacy reminded us that medicine is important, but the relationship with the suffering person remains even more important. “We want every person entering the Vatican Pharmacy to feel welcomed not only as a customer, but as a brother and sister, with the awareness that true care is always born from the encounter of scientific competence, love, and hope,” concludes Director Brother Binish Thomas Mulackal.
