Passover serves as the ultimate nationwide cleaning event in Israel. Alongside scrubbing the house, polishing windows, and tidying up kitchen cabinets, many people also take the opportunity to organize their home medicine cabinet and discard unused medications. Every year, enormous amounts of various medications—worth hundreds of millions of shekels—are thrown away in Israel. These include life-saving drugs, medications for chronic illnesses, and basic medicines. The discarded medications contain toxic substances that pollute the environment, contaminate groundwater, and harm agriculture, animals, and humans. At the same time, these medications could have been used by many individuals who cannot afford them.

Ahead of the holiday, Haverim Le'refuah, Israel's largest organization dedicated to making medications accessible, is launching a campaign urging the public to donate unneeded medications to one of the organization's 1,000+ collection points across the country, including all Super-Pharm branches. The organization collects the medications, sorts them according to medical indications and expiration dates, and distributes them to those in need—free of charge.

Baruch Lieberman, CEO of Haverim Le'refuah (credit: PR)
Baruch Lieberman, CEO of Haverim Le'refuah (credit: PR)
"Medications are not a luxury and should be a basic right for every citizen," says Baruch Lieberman, CEO of Haverim Le'refuah. "Since the outbreak of the war, we have seen about a 50% increase in the number of requests from people seeking assistance in obtaining medications, including those for mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties, as well as everyday medicines like fever reducers and pain relievers, which people struggle to afford or access. In addition to the war and its consequences, the country's economic situation and the ongoing rise in the cost of living have exacerbated the problem. Families that previously managed to buy medications are now collapsing; for some, it has become an impossible choice between food and medicine."

Lieberman adds, "Our goal is to provide medication to everyone in need, but if this situation continues, the burden on our organization will be overwhelming, and we will struggle to keep up with the demand. We are already assisting around 7,000 patients each month, and the number keeps rising. In Passover 2024, we collected about 150,000 boxes of medications; this year, we hope to double that to 300,000 boxes. Otherwise, many Israeli citizens will be left without essential medications they rely on. Many medications stored in home medicine cabinets are thrown away during Passover cleaning—into trash bins, toilets, sinks, and more. Unfortunately, many people are still unaware of the option to donate these medications. That's why I'm appealing to the public: Passover is an excellent time to organize your home medicine cabinet and donate any unused medications. By doing so, you will help save both lives and the environment."

About Haverim Le'refuah:

The Haverim Le'refuah organization was founded in 2003 with the vision of ensuring that anyone in need receives medication. Today, it is Israel's largest umbrella organization for medication assistance, providing everything from basic medicines to expensive treatments not included in the national health basket. Thanks to the organization’s efforts, tens of thousands of patients receive medication assistance each month.

To find the nearest medication collection point, click here.