With an 18 hour layover in Doha, Qatar, we were fortunate enough to be offered a complimentary city tour offered by Qatar Airways. Doha, the capital of Qatar has a population of 2 million with only 25% of that being native to the country. The remaining 75% are foreigners doing business in this up and coming metropolis of the Middle East.
The government provides free healthcare, education, utilities etc... to its natives. Since there is an abundance of petrol and oil, one can purchase 5 liters of pertrol for the same price as 1 liter of water.
It is a booming city that resembles Manhattan with gorgeous skyscrapers, luxury hotels, and high end boutiques. There is a market that sells all local goods and is a busy and bustling area in downtown.
We were strolling through the market place and came across a local Pharmacy. Upon entering, with our Temple Pharmacy team shirts, I engaged in a conversation about the practice of pharmacy in Qatar. The only medications that requires a prescription from a licensed physician are antibiotics and steroids. All other available medication can be purchased over-the-counter. There was an abundance of natural products and well-known medications available in the States, albeit under vastly different brand names.
The Pharmacists was impressed with our ultimate goal of traveling to dedicate our time, resources and energy for helping improve the lives of patients around the world.
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