In an economic crisis that has led to a shortage of medicines, Egyptians are skipping trips to drug stores and instead turning to herbal remedies to treat every-day illnesses. The government said on Thursday those price rises could reach as high as 15 percent for domestically-produced medicines and 20 percent for imports. But rather than drugs, they hold herbs, each said to have its own unique healing property. Customers explain their symptoms and Al-Attar produces a concoction of spices and herbs - with a more affordable price tag then at the conventional chemists. Local spices and herbs cost between 5 and 10 Egyptian pounds ($0.27-0.54) per kilogram.

Source: Egypt Independent January 13, 2017 09:14 UTC