Nhà Thuốc Phước Thiện Đường: A traditional medicine pharmacy passed down five-generations

The interior of Phước Thiện Đường Pharmacy featuring a diagnostic room. Signage reads "Traditional Medicine Diagnostic Room Phước Thiện Đường."

Phước Thiện Đường pharmacy is in District 4 of Ho Chi Minh City. Having operated through five generations of family, the pharmacy has established a name for itself amongst residents seeking traditional medicines. On August 6th, I made a brief stop at the pharmacy to ask permission for a short conversation with the owner. Thus, here are three questions and translated responses from our conversation.

Can you tell me more about the history of this pharmacy?

This is a family tradition, meaning passed down from father to son, meaning talking about the old decades, 1940 or 1950, those people from China, they called it Chinese medicine. And talking about me, it's my great-grandfather's generation, I'm the 5th generation. But later on, there were people who went to school, studied traditional medicine and got a degree. That degree was for them to sell traditional medicine, or this Chinese medicine. These people studied for 4 years and they became traditional medicine doctors. But a person who is not qualified to do this job is not allowed. This has a special factor. That is, in addition to a business license, you must have expertise, that is, you yourself must have expertise. As for the issue of what people call family inheritance, it is old-fashioned, meaning the father does it and then the son does it, but if the son does it without proper papers, the government will not allow him to do it.

Exterior of the pharmacy. Signage reads "Traditional Medicine Pharmacy Phước Thiện Đường"

Does this pharmacy specialize in herbal medicines specifically or any other medicine?

Depending on the license. My license is “retail of traditional medicine products”, and special things like ginseng, deer antler, considered to belong to animals like rhinoceros scales or special things must have a separate license to sell. Here, there are only items called traditional medicine products.

Medicinal drawers behind the pharmacy counter. Labels are written in Chinese and Vietnamese.

If someone brings a prescription from a doctor, can you fill it?

Yes, we can here. It's called herbal medicine. Examination is the part of diagnosing the disease, that is, examining the disease, taking the pulse is the part of the physician who examines and treats the disease, then writes out the prescription. As for me here, I am preparing the right medicine, looking at the prescription to get the medicine., these two people are separate. The examiner is the physician, and the person selling the medicine must know the right medicine. The seller himself must know if the medicine is suitable.

Traditional medicine the owner retrieved for a visiting customer.