GIVMED is a non-profit organisation that aims to provide immediate and effective coverage of the pharmaceutical needs of socially vulnerable groups, through coordination of drug donation activities, information and education campaigns for citizens and advocacy for the proper management of medicines. In order to achieve its objectives, the organisation has developed the first electronic network for the employment and donation of surplus medicines, in cooperation with 135 public benefit organisations (social drugstores, social grocery stores, etc.), 26 pharmaceutical companies and public bodies.

In 2021, with funding from the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, GIVMED started the implementation of a pilot programme for the donation of medicines to Public Health Facilities, with the aim of integrating them into the GIVMED network and covering their regular or emergency needs in pharmaceutical and medical supplies. The action comprises a mapping of hospitals in every Health District (“Y.PE.”) of the country, approaching hospital pharmacists and informing them about the possibility of accepting drug donations through the GIVMED network of public benefit entities and their subsequent training in the use of the MEDforHOSPs software. MEDforHOSPs is a special version of the existing MEDforNGOs software, which has been customised to include the functions necessary to cover a hospital’s needs. Through this digital tool, hospitals can order and receive medicines from social drugstores, donate medicines to public benefit entities and electronically manage their medicine inventory in real time.

• 1,150 boxes of medicines with a total value of €47,206 were received by the 5 hospitals participating in the Project in 2021.
• 34,000,000 boxes of medicines expire and end up in the trash on an annual basis.