Metronidazole 250 mg oral tablets, boxed with blister strip

Object/Artifact

-

Archive of Cuban Socialism

Name/Title

Metronidazole 250 mg oral tablets, boxed with blister strip

Entry/Object ID

2025.1.140

Description

A Cuban prescription pharmaceutical: a folded cardboard box of "METRONIDAZOL" oral tablets with a surviving blister strip of tablets. The front is printed in blue and orange on buff card: a circular blue/orange logo enclosing "30 Tabletas," "METRONIDAZOL" (blue, between orange bars), "Tabletas Orales," "Cada tableta contiene: Metronidazol 250 mg," and "DIRECCIÓN NACIONAL DE MEDICAMENTOS — MINSAP." The back reads "ADVERTENCIA: EN CASO DE TRICHOMONIASIS DEBEN SER TRATADOS AMBOS CÓNYUGES A LA VEZ. / PROTÉJASE DE LA LUZ / VENTA POR RECETA MÉDICA / Precio Público: $2.25 / Lote: 7041." The contents are a transparent cellophane/foil blister strip printed repeatedly "METRONIDAZOL oral / Metronidazol 250 mg / MINSAP," holding several round off-white tablets (the strip shown retains roughly six tablets in its cells, with empty cells). Box and strip are heavily aged, foxed, and stained; printing legible.

Use

Medical supplies of Leopoldo Arús Gálvez

Collection

The Cabrera Arús family collection, Leopoldo Arús Gálvez collection

Acquisition

Accession

2025.1

Made/Created

Manufacturer

MINSAP

Notes

Maker Cuban state pharmaceutical production under MINSAP, specifically attributed to the Dirección Nacional de Medicamentos (National Directorate of Medicines) of the Ministerio de Salud Pública. Specific manufacturing plant not named. Date Circa 1970s–1980s (tentative; inferred). The MINSAP / Dirección Nacional de Medicamentos branding, packaging design, blister-strip format, and fixed public price are consistent with that period; "Lote: 7041" is a batch code. No printed manufacture date.

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Notes

Front: circular logo "30 Tabletas"; "METRONIDAZOL"; "Tabletas Orales"; "Cada tableta contiene: Metronidazol 250 mg"; "DIRECCIÓN NACIONAL DE MEDICAMENTOS — MINSAP." Back: "ADVERTENCIA: EN CASO DE TRICHOMONIASIS DEBEN SER TRATADOS AMBOS CÓNYUGES A LA VEZ. / PROTÉJASE DE LA LUZ / VENTA POR RECETA MÉDICA / Precio Público: $2.25 / Lote: 7041." Blister strip (repeating): "METRONIDAZOL oral / Metronidazol 250 mg / MINSAP."

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Leopoldo Arús Gálvez

Notes

owner

Related Places

Place

City

Havana

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Notes

use, acquisition

Research Notes

Notes

The surviving blister strip, with its repeating "MINSAP" printing, preserves the primary packaging and the medicine itself. The fixed public price ("$2.25") again documents state price control. Together these items map both the institutional structure (plant-level vs. ministry-level attributions) and the everyday therapeutics of the Cuban public-health system.

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

March 7, 2026

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 14, 2026