As many as 200,000 Israelis have lost their homes or been evacuated from them in the South and North due to the war, and don’t know where or when they will return. They left so hastily that many of those with chronic illnesses left behind their prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Briut Shava Lakol (Equal Health for All) – a nationwide, nonprofit, community pharmacy organization affiliated with Yad Sarah – is helping to eliminate the burden of prescription expenses and bureaucracy by filling and retrieving prescriptions at no cost.
The organization's work since the start of the war
Since October 7, the organization has distributed over NIS 650,000 ($175,000) worth of medications free of charge around Israel. During the first month of the war against Hamas, they handed out the equivalent of half an ordinary year’s stock. The prescription drugs included medications for chronic illnesses including cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The demand for nonprescription drugs included pain relievers as well.
The organization at https://www.briutshava.org/ has helped people retrieve and fill their prescriptions, even when original prescriptions were unavailable from their health funds.
Its main aim is to promote health equity, ensuring that everyone, irrespective of financial means, has access to essential medications. A growing number of people – especially the elderly – can’t afford the copayments for drugs and have to face the terrible decision of whether to buy pills or food.
Committed to providing everyone with access to medication
The organization relies on a dedicated team of volunteer pharmacists – many of whom are pulling double shifts to meet unprecedented wartime demand – and delivery drivers available around the clock. They pack, issue, and dispatch medications to any address across the country within two days, including to combat areas and evacuee convergence centers.
“Many people are navigating confusing and harrowing situations as they leave their homes, uncertain of when they will return. This is where we can help to reduce some stress for evacuated citizens,” said Yad Sarah director-general Moshe Cohen. “Despite the challenges, we are committed to providing essential medications to those in need, showcasing the power of collective compassion during difficult times.”
Yad Sarah branches also collect unused, sealed, and unopened prescription drugs for distribution that have not expired. Certain drugs are sometimes acquired from pharmaceutical companies. Donated medications go through rigorous testing and examination to ensure their safety and efficacy. Subsequently, licensed pharmacy volunteers administer the medications by valid prescriptions when needed for controlled medications.
Briut Shava Lakol emphasizes the urgent need for additional prescription donations and monetary support to continue its vital mission, particularly as Israel faces uncertainty around a long war.
Established in 1976, Yad Sarah has 126 branches throughout Israel staffed by more than 7,000 volunteers. Although the organization is best known for its extensive lending service for medical equipment, its volunteers also drive its wheelchair-accessible vans, reach out to the homebound, advocate for the elderly at risk for abuse, provide in-home geriatric dental care, staff its play center, and more. Nearly every family in Israel has been impacted or helped by Yad Sarah.
Yad Sarah says it saves Israel’s healthcare system over NIS 5.5 billion ($1.5 billion) each year through its home hospitalization equipment lending services.