Farmacias Similares

Sadly, unlike the New York Times, a digital subscription to the Los Angeles Times does not come with the ability to gift articles. And copying 'n' pasting is a no-no. We don't want to get Rob in trouble for housing copyrighted materials, do we? However, for those old enough to remember, here is the Reader's Digest version:

“To serve God and the people!” That is Dr. Simi's motto. On top of the thousands of farmacias, many with clinics right next door that offer MXN$50 visits with a doctor, the company has dozens of employees that answer calls to the “Simitel” hotline that provides free access to doctors, nutritionists and psychologists. The article goes into detail about the history of Farmacias Similares. They originally started when Mexico forced pharmaceutical companies to label the active ingredients on their containers and opened the door to generic drugs. "The same, but cheaper," was their advertising slogan.

The article also discusses the failure of the pledge of the Mexican government to provide universal health care and how Farmacias Similares has stepped in to fill the void, often rubbing some officials the wrong way but endearing themselves to the Mexican people.

To be honest, I am not doing the article justice. A highlight is a photo of a hillside neighborhood that painted their houses to create a giant mural of Dr. Simi. You might be able to directly go to this photo. Me encanta Mexico!

I opened a different browser and did not login to our digital subscription and, as Talley Ho noted, I was able to read the article using the direct link: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-03-01/la-fg-mexico-doctor-simi-mascot-healthcare-crisis

If nothing else, you can sign up for $1 a week for so many weeks and then cancel when the full price starts. It's worth it, in my humble opinion.