"As it gets into the Gulf, we'll be ready, " Troullier said Thursday before dropping by the pharmacy and the post office.

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The same rules have also been enforced at the Vatican's pharmacy, its post office and the few shops that operate in the tiny territory.

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Prices of drugs, of course, are difficult to evaluate, since the cost of production of a given dose is often far lower than the final cost in a pharmacy or doctor's office.

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