Haverim LeRefuah

Haverim LeRefuah (Hebrew: חברים לרפואה, "Friends for Medicine") is an Israeli nonprofit organization founded in 2003 by Rabbi Baruch Lieberman together with the late Rabbi Yechiel Landman. Its mission is to ensure that no patient in Israel forgoes medication because of financial hardship. The organization collects surplus, unexpired medicines from individuals, companies and institutions, sorts and inspects them in a volunteer pharmacy, and redistributes them free of charge to patients who cannot afford them. It also operates legal and advocacy departments that help patients exhaust their statutory rights to medication, and it runs assistance funds for treatments and drugs not covered by the national health basket. The organization is headquartered in Bnei Brak and operates nationwide. According to its official website, in the past year it delivered medicines worth 141,238,000 shekels to patients, assisted 16,731 patients in realizing their legal rights to essential medicines, maintained 1,202 medicine collection points across the country, and served 7,500 patients each month with free medicines. It works with hundreds of volunteers, dozens of pharmacists, and a network of collection points hosted by Bank Mizrahi-Tefahot branches, Super-Pharm stores, and many other public and private companies. Haverim LeRefuah is widely regarded as a leading Israeli umbrella organization in the field of medicine donation and access. It maintains relationships with most Israeli and international pharmaceutical companies, and its volunteer pharmacy — established in 2011 — is described as the largest of its kind in the world for sorting donated medicines. The organization has received the Midot Seal of Effectiveness, the President's Award for Volunteering, the Ministry of Health Shield, and the Israel Earth Prize. It also runs programs for children with special needs, hospital patient support, and academic mentoring projects in cooperation with Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Haverim LeRefuah was founded in 2003 by Rabbi Baruch Lieberman and Rabbi Yechiel Landman (deceased). Rabbi Lieberman, born in 1975 in Bnei Brak, was a social activist from a young age; at 17 he was the youngest coordinator of the organization "Kav LaChaim." Together with Rabbi Landman, he initiated Haverim LeRefuah with the vision that no patient in Israel should go without medication due to financial inability. The organization introduced a new model in Israel: collecting surplus medicines from those who no longer need them and donating chronic and expensive medicines free of charge to patients in need. Within a few years, the organization became a leading body in Israel for promoting and providing access to medicines. In 2011, it established a volunteer pharmacy, which over the years grew into what is described as the largest volunteer pharmacy of its kind in the world, sorting thousands of medicines arriving daily from across the country. The pharmacy inspects medicines, routes usable ones for reuse, and sends expired ones for green burial. Dozens of pharmacists and a professional team handle sorting, packaging, and shipping nationwide. The organization operates a medicine routing center where requests for medicines are verified, prescriptions and social worker referrals are checked, and medicines are matched from inventory and delivered to patients. It maintains over 900 collection points across the country, including at Bank Mizrahi-Tefahot branches and Super-Pharm stores. It also collaborates with public and private companies to encourage employees to bring medicines to collection points. In addition to medicine donation, Haverim LeRefuah runs assistance funds that help hundreds of patients annually finance medical treatments and drugs not included in the health basket. It operates a legal department for realizing medication rights and a department for children with special needs. The organization has close to 4,000 volunteers, including adults and youth, active in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and schools. It runs programs for about 1,200 children and youth with disabilities aged 8–22, including trips, camps, and events. Academic mentoring projects "Ma'agalim" with Tel Aviv University and "Kesher" with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem involve nursing and occupational therapy students mentoring children with special needs. The organization has received recognition including the Midot Seal of Effectiveness, the President's Award for Volunteering (2013), the Ministry of Health Shield (2010), and the Israel Earth Prize by Union & Toyota. It holds a valid Midot seal and approval for joining the "Igul LeTova" (Good Circle) program.

• 2013

  Received the President's Award for Volunteering.

• 2011

  Established the volunteer pharmacy, described as the largest of its kind in the world.

• 2010

  Received the Ministry of Health Shield.

• 2003

  Haverim LeRefuah founded by Rabbi Baruch Lieberman and Rabbi Yechiel Landman.

• Received the Israel Earth Prize by Union & Toyota.

• Received the Midot Seal of Effectiveness.

Leading Israeli nonprofit umbrella organization for medicine donation, access, and environmental education against medicine waste.

• Medicine donation and redistribution

  Collection of surplus medicines from individuals and institutions, sorting in volunteer pharmacy, and free distribution to patients.

• Volunteer pharmacy

  A pharmacy operated by a responsible pharmacist and dozens of volunteer pharmacists, storing and sorting thousands of donated medicines.

• Legal department for medication rights

  Assists patients in realizing their legal rights to receive essential medicines.

• Assistance funds

  Personal funds established for patients needing financial aid for medical treatments and drugs not in the health basket.

• Children with special needs programs

  Activities for about 1,200 children and youth with disabilities, including trips, camps, and events.

• Academic mentoring projects

  Programs 'Ma'agalim' with Tel Aviv University and 'Kesher' with Hebrew University, where students mentor children with special needs.

1. 1חברים לרפואה - דף הביתhaverim.org.il
2. 2חברים לרפואה - ויקיפדיהhe.wikipedia.org
3. 3Wikidata: Q12407278wikidata.org