"GETTING" EL GRIPO

Centralna Lekarna
Ljubljana's main pharmacy,
or "Central Drugstore"
(note Hermes in the background)




When our lunch companion late last week muttered something about "El Gripo" (pronounced Greepo, rolling the r loudly) being the reason for not finishing his beer and Yota, it was just one of those many things that one initially doesn't "get" when in a foreign country. Listening, and copying, are key survival skills abroad, but not all things heard are at first understood, when they are out of the context of one's own culture .


Upon arrival to Ljubljana, having depleted our supply of Elderberry syrup incident to transatlantic travel, we began the search for Sambucol, or any brand, or form, of Elderberries, in order to ward those new winter viral strains to which one is exposed when traveling. Six stores, and two weeks later,---- with the hunt including two teeny weeny (too small for 5, half of us had to wait outside) organic shops, one no longer existent store, one natural item 2' by 5' booth in the two square block open market, and one Maxim, the upscale very large business district department store, ---the possibility of a replenished supply looked grim. But alas, at Maxim, I was directed to the "PHARMACY".

Pharmacies in Slovenia are like Walgreen's in the states, but without the flip flops, coke 12- pack deals, Valentine's Day candy, and myriad of hair dyes. The Centralna Lekarna is the largest of its kind in Ljubljana, and sits in Preseren Square, just below Hermes, the messenger God atop the building next door. One can't help but wonder if his raised hand is in fact wielding one of those FDA black box drug-warnings.

According to the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Europe, Slovenians consume more than their fair share of prescription drugs. WHO notes that "Despite the measures taken to date, the situation remains unsatisfactory, and comparative data show that drug consumption is still relatively high compared with other European countries." and furthermore, Slovenians are just too healthy to "warrant such a level of drug intake". And WHO goes on to say that "a set of measures has already been taken to address the pharmaceutical sector."

Wow, now that would get John Boehner's blood pressure up.

And as if the WHO wasn't watchdog enough, the Slovene's themselves have had the foresight to attempt to curb their own prescription drug use, and in 1994 they set a limit placed on the number of prescriptions per person, per year, that a doctor could write. Do you think that would include refills?

The government limited the prescription per person, per year to 6.8. In the United States we consume 12 prescriptions per person, per year, so that would cut our consumption just about in half. That seems reasonable enough, as surely half of the drugs prescribed in the US are unnecessary.

For Slovenians, the drugs that top their usage list are Cardiovascular medications, drugs for respiratory illnesses, and drugs to treat infectious diseases and parasites. Parasites? Really? Let's hope this is my last trip to Centralna Lekarna.

Slovenia does in fact have their version of the FDA, if not a somewhat socialist version. In 1999 the LAW ON MEDICINAL PRODUCTS AND MEDICAL DEVICES was passed, with its main objective being to enforce the country's national policy on prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The ministry in charge of carrying out this law helps to monitor the effectiveness and flow of new drugs in the country, interface and price-set with pharmaceutical companies, and cut drug costs by limiting the supply of non-generic medications being marketed as a "newer and better" brand.

The pharmacy was pristine, with the only merchandise being behind a long counter. There were several lines of people, from which one could see, that in addition to prescription drugs, pharmacies here sell tonics, and lozenges, and creams, and cellulite pills, and cold remedies in brightly colored packages, and back supports, Centrum vitamins, and well, juices -- all needing a consultation with a woman in a white coat to obtain. It is an eclectic assortment of necessary, and seemingly unnecessary things, and I was desperate to take a picture. But it was very quiet, and very serious, with a lot of white coats, and since I have a (bad) habit of respecting that medical feel, well, somehow it seemed disrespectful to flash a photo.


Then, there it was. A TV repeatedly giving what appeared to be informative medical tips, kind of like a mammogram waiting area in the states. Suddenly, the word GRIPA appeared, surrounded by other unintelligible Slovenian words. Then again, and again, and again. It became apparent that GRIPA was something important.


Yes, It was the flu, and this of course, was flu season.

And since, or because of, having lunch with a GRIPER (pronounced GREEPER, not complainer) I had in fact, been gripped. Not only did my lunch companion have the wrong article for the word (at least for this country), he also had the word. So, I get it now --

hence the title.




It was my turn in the long line.

"Hello, I am looking for Elderberry syrup, or Sambucol, or this black berry." I pointed to, and handed my empty bottle of Sambucol brand Elderberry syrup across the counter to the white-coated lady.

"Ah, yes, yes, I svee, I will get it. Vone mooment, please"

I looked back at Jed excitedly.


The woman went to the rack to her right and pulled off one of the 30 bottles of Dr. Weidermann's Juices from the display shelf. It was the one with the black-ist of berries on the label. I wondered just what type of juices needed to be pharmacy controlled.



"Here, I thivink thvis is it. do you see. Vit has vee berry on it?"


It had just touched my hand, I was elated, already feeling the grip of the gripper easing,
when suddenly,and out of the blue,


"Oh, no, just a moment, just a moment, just ene moment"


She rushes the bottle back to the shelf and disappears.
My hopes, dashed. Wasn't that berry at least close enough?

But,then,

"A Hah, Vi have fvound it. You need Bezej!

Oh, but I am sorry, ve do not have Bezej. Here, I will write it down for you (in that beautiful handwriting that all Slovenes have, as if they were all once architectural students). SANOLABOR, Cigaletova St. BEZEJ. "



She handed me the small piece of paper, and again, I felt as if the GRIP might be loosening.



Only to find that Cigaletova Cesta was not on our map.



Elderberry syrup was to come into our life again though. Upon return to the apt there was an inquiry response email on gmail, from Basoula Pavlou, reporting that unfortunately
Elderberry syrup is not yet available in Slovenia because they are "waiting for registration, and it should be soon in the market there."
Hum, that darn Medicinal Products Law.

In the meantime, he would suggest ordering direct from their UK factory.

And that is just what I did. Six bottles in fact, as that is the minimum order for a shipment to Slovenia.

Sign on Centralna Lekarna's front door

Sign outside Kalcek, one of the two, very small in-town natural food stores

Ashevilleans: feel right at home.

Eckhart Tolle, now in Slovene

So, just to sum things up:

If you want to speak Slovene, you'd better believe in reincarnation.

If someone tells you flamboyantly that they have "EL GRIPO", immediately stop any further exchange of respiratory fluids.

Elderberry in Slovene, is Bezej. The reason this is significant is that you will never be able to find that translated for you on the internet. The reason it is not significant, is that you will never be able to find Elderberry Syrup in Slovenia, even if you do know what to ask for.

If you like organic food, you may turn into an angel.

If you are vegetarian, you will feel very comfortable in a pharmacy.

If you are not, leave your hotdog at the door.

If you believe in vitamins, herbal remedies, or supplements, perhaps there's a future for you here, selling Elderberry Syrup from the UK.