Israel Discards Over $190 Million in Unused Medications Annually

Medicines worth over 700 million shekels (approximately $190 million) are discarded annually in Israel, with a significant portion still usable. According to Calcalist, medications returned by citizens to collection points operated by health funds are automatically destroyed, even if they are not expired and were stored correctly. A different system is in place at collection points for the charitable organization "Achim LaRefuah" (Friends for Medicine), including those located in Super-Pharm branches. There, pharmacists inspect the medications, and usable drugs are then given to patients who cannot afford them. However, current law prevents the organization from receiving medications already collected by the health funds. "700 million shekels in medications is more than the annual addition to the medicine basket," stated Baruch Lieberman, Director General of "Achim LaRefuah." He added that the organization provides medications monthly to thousands of families, including expensive drugs for patients with severe and rare diseases. The Ministry of Health cited quality control as the reason for the restrictions, explaining that once a medication reaches a patient, it is impossible to reliably determine its storage conditions. Nevertheless, the ministry acknowledges the scale of the problem and is advancing measures to reduce excess medication dispensing, including pharmacist-led patient consultations.