A couple of years ago, a Slovak specialist wrote me a prescription. I took it to the lekáreň, paid €22, and only googled it afterwards. What I found made me — a trained chemist — genuinely furious with myself.

This is Episode 28 of The Blorecast, and it's about Slovakia's pharmacy culture: why there are twice as many pharmacies per person here as in the UK, what's actually on those shelves, and why the Slovak medical system treats magnesium, salt caves, magnetic therapy and homeopathy with roughly the same institutional confidence.

I'm not here to mock Slovakia. The system has treated me well for over 27 years. But there's a specific and fascinating reason why the line between conventional and alternative medicine is drawn differently here than in Britain — and it has everything to do with history.

📖 Full source list and references: https://blore.sk/en/blorecast-28-master-sources-evidence-compendium/

Part I — Slovaks vs The Cold: https://youtu.be/LiEDKykC0bQ?si=yhUG4wznHU2OunyZ

Part III — [LINK when live]

🕐 CHAPTERS

00:00 The €22 Prescription

[01:31] The Lekáreň — Slovakia's Favourite Shop

[03:43] Not All Evidence Is Equal

[04:26] The Spectrum: Magnesium

[05:55] Salt and Salt Caves

[07:47] Magnetic Therapy

[09:21] Kosmodisk

[10:27] Honey vs Calcium Syrup

[11:41] Homeopathy

[12:57] Why the System Works This Way

[14:44] The Irony

#Slovakia #SlovakCulture #BritishInSlovakia #ExpatLife #Košice #Lekáreň #AlternativeMedicine #Homeopathy #SlovakMedicine #BritishExpat #LearnSlovak #CentralEurope

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The Blorecast is a podcast from The School of Blore in Košice, Slovakia. It’s about life, culture, language, and exams – all served up with a dose of humour and storytelling. Whether you’re learning English, preparing for Cambridge exams, or just curious about life in Slovakia, you’ll find something here.

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📺 Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@bloresk

📌 Find out more at: https://blore.sk/

📧 Contact: podcast@blore.sk

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Attributions

Rod of Asclepius (thumbnail): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esclapius_stick_1.svg

Maps: Mapy.com (Kosice and Aberdeen)

Halotherapy: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Halotherapy_Spain_.jpg

Hospital Magnets: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neuro-ms.png

Kosmodisk online: https://www.lekarnicka.sk/rehabilitacne-pomocky/masazne-pristroje/Kosmodisk-Classic

Homeopathy bottles: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Homeopathy#/media/File:Homeopathic332.JPG

Homeopathy sugar pills: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Homeopathy_globules.jpg

Crystal Healing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_Dee%27s_crystal,_used_for_clairvoyance_%26_healing,_17th_C_Wellcome_M0019989.jpgAromatherapy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aromatas.JPG

Holland & Barrett: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Holland_%26_Barrett.jpg

Covid vaccine: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pfizer-BioNTech_COVID-19_vaccine_%282020%29_E.jpg

Boiron Revenue: https://www.reuters.com/markets/companies/BOIR.PA/financials/income-annual

The original studies referenced in the video can be found here: https://blore.sk/en/blorecast-28-master-sources-evidence-compendium/

Other photos are James's own (all rights reserved).

Our theme tune is Ode to Joy – Heavy Edition, written specially for us by the most excellent dafteaux: https://youtu.be/rU6nLowrtmE

The first funky breakbeat drum loop is by Alexander, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License: http://www.orangefreesounds.com/vintage-drum-and-organ-beat-87-bpm/

And the new ones are from here: https://samplefocus.com/samples/acoustic-rolling-drum-loop-cool-beat