Man has been concerned about his health, since the beginning of time. The most important thing to this day, is also to treat complaints (diseases) and prevent pain and illnesses. Antiquity healers turned to nature’s pharmacy, and people of the 21st century, alongside synthetic agents, continue turning with confidence and conviction to herbal elixirs that have been efficient for thousands of years.
In the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential medicines, last updated in 2021, about 11% of the active ingredients are originated from plants. This fact, also proves that medicinal herbs play a crucial and effective role in medicine.
However, we should not underestimate the power of medicinal plants, as they can have side effects that are just as harmful as the side effects of synthetic medicines. That is why, they were provided for by apothecaries in the Middle Ages, who knew the herbal and chemical ingredients. This ancient discipline was the forerunner of modern chemistry and pharmacology.
Gedeon Richter opened his first pharmacy in 1901, and at the same time, he began to develop his drug products for the Richter Pharmacy and later the Richter Pharmaceutical Company. Over time, products made from medicinal herbs, such as lilies of the valley and poppies, came to occupy a prominent place in the product range. The active ingredient of one of our leading products, was also once extracted for the first time, from a medicinal plant, the periwinkle.
This time, Gedeon Richter Romania’s 2023 calendar pays tribute to medicinal plants, as this is where the ancient foundations of pharmacology lays. On the pages of our calendar and our website, thanks to illustrator Noémi Sárkány, you can admire medicinal plants that can heal and enhance physical and mental well-being.
