Israel Disposes of Hundreds of Millions in Unused Medications Annually

In Israel, medications valued at over 700 million shekels are discarded each year, despite a decade-old law permitting the reuse of many of these drugs for patients unable to afford them. Currently, two primary channels exist for returning medications: collection bins provided by health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and those managed by the "Friends for Medicine" association, located in large institutions and Super-Pharm branches. Medications that are in good condition, not expired, and returned to HMOs are automatically destroyed. In contrast, drugs deposited in "Friends for Medicine" bins are distributed to families facing financial hardship.

This situation persists even though the "Friends for Medicine" association's operations were legally regulated in 2016. The organization aims to connect individuals with surplus medications to patients in need. However, current legislation restricts the association from collecting drugs from HMO bins, allowing it only to receive donations from private individuals, large institutions, and pharmaceutical companies. Consequently, valuable medications are needlessly destroyed, incurring costs for the state and HMOs for disposal, while also harming the environment and leaving needy patients without access to necessary treatments.

Baruch Lieberman, CEO of "Friends for Medicine," stated, "There are five HMOs in Israel. There are the four HMOs and there are us. We are Israel's drug security. It doesn't matter if a person needs a drug that costs 10 shekels or 14 million shekels, we must do everything to keep them alive." The association handles both common medications and expensive drugs for severe or rare illnesses, some of which are not covered by the national health basket. They operate a sorting and distribution center staffed by volunteer pharmacists who ensure all donated medications are valid, undamaged, and safe for use, adhering to Ministry of Health regulations. These sorted medications are then distributed to families identified as eligible by municipal social welfare departments.

Lieberman further noted that the 700 million shekels worth of discarded drugs exceeds the annual increase in the drug basket, highlighting the scale of the waste. The Ministry of Health acknowledges the problem of medication disposal and is promoting measures for stricter oversight of drug treatment duration and quantity. Proposed solutions include proactive pharmaceutical counseling by HMOs to reduce the amount of medication prescribed.