Slightly Interesting Cambodian Fact (4): Phnom Penh Pharmacies

Phnom Penh has 657 registered pharmacies.That's one chemist for approximately every 2,285 people. That number doesn't include the many unlicensed pill and potion outlets scattered throughout the city.

Compare that to a region with a similar population- Auckland- which has 321 pharmacies, or one for every 4,485 people.

In 2002, the World Health Organisation claimed that 13% of all medication sold in Cambodia was either fake or below standard. Recent busts on illegal medicine peddlers and better border security especially at the Vietnamese border has, according to WHO, meant a dramatic decrease in the sale of shoddy serums and pointless pills.