Puerto Rican elders and botanical shops: a community resource or liability?

Puerto Rican elders face tremendous challenges in having their health and social service needs met in the United States. Service delivery to this population requires innovative approaches for involving the community. The use of botanical shops (culture versions of pharmacies) in collaborative activities offers much potential for the profession of social work and the field of human services. This article will report on a literature review and the results of a key informant survey of leading scholars on the topic of botanical shops; recommendations for the use of this community resource will be presented.