Millions in Unused Medications Discarded Annually in Israel Amid Patient Shortages
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel discards hundreds of millions of shekels in unused medications yearly.
- Thousands of patients face financial hardship affording necessary drugs.
- The 'Friends for Medicine' association redistributes usable medications.
- HMO-collected drugs are destroyed, even if unexpired.
- The association distributed over 141 million shekels in drugs last year.
In Israel, medications worth hundreds of millions of shekels are discarded each year, despite thousands of patients struggling to afford necessary treatments. Baruch Lieberman, CEO and founder of the 'Friends for Medicine' association, estimates this annual waste at 600 to 700 million shekels. This highlights a significant gap between patients' needs and the surplus of unused drugs.
'Friends for Medicine' operates a program to collect, inspect, and redistribute unused medications to patients who cannot afford them. This activity was formalized in a 2016 amendment to the Pharmacists Ordinance, allowing the association to accept medications from the public under specific regulations. These drugs undergo professional sorting and inspection, and are dispensed to patients by qualified pharmacists with a valid prescription. Medications unsuitable for distribution are disposed of safely.
However, this regulatory framework does not cover all collection channels. According to a report in Calcalist, medications returned by the public to collection bins at health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are destroyed, even if they have not expired. The 'Friends for Medicine' association cannot collect these drugs, although it is permitted to receive donations from individuals, institutions, and pharmaceutical companies.
The Ministry of Health explains that it is difficult to verify the storage conditions of medications once they have been dispensed to a patient, and the donation pathway is intended to be limited and supervised. The ministry is also promoting proactive pharmaceutical consultations within HMOs to reduce the dispensing of excess medications.
Last year, 'Friends for Medicine' distributed medications valued at over 141 million shekels, assisting approximately 7,500 patients monthly free of charge. Over 1,200 collection points are available to the public. The association also helps patients clarify their eligibility for treatments with HMOs and insurance companies.
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