7-13 February 2023: the 23rd Giornata di Raccolta del Farmaco (“Drug Collection Day”) is about to start

Back to the appointment with the Giornata di Raccolta del Farmaco (“Drug Collection Day”) 2023, the initiative promoted by Banco Farmaceutico, which this year has reached its 23^rd edition. During this week dedicated to solidarity – which takes place from today, Tuesday 7, until Monday 13 February – the 5,200 Italian pharmacies participating in the initiative will collect over-the-counter medicines, which will be delivered to 1,806 social welfare organisations affiliated with Banco Farmaceutico, with the aim of offering free treatment and medicines to indigent people. The initiative is also possible thanks to the support of over 18,000 pharmacists and over 22,000 volunteers.

Over the course of over twenty years of activity, the Drug Collection Day has become a precious opportunity to focus attention on and raise awareness of the health poverty issue, a silent, still too neglected crisis that today impacts 400,000 people in our country, as recounted in the latest Health Poverty Report.

The grave international economic crisis, also aggravated by the on-going Russian-Ukrainian conflict, is negatively affecting the individual and collective well-being, while increasing socio-economic hardships and vulnerability, as well as creating new forms of poverty. All these difficulties are inevitably reflected in healthcare: in order to deal with more urgent family needs, healthcare costs are cut from the household budget, with significant repercussions also on other aspects of life, such as child education, thus also becoming educational poverty.

It is also for this reason that, over the years, IBSA Farmaceutici has consolidated its support for the collection campaign, which is a tangible help for people in serious difficulty, offering opportunities and hope for a cure. Furthermore, joining the GRF (Giornata di Raccolta del Farmaco) 2023 is part of the broader commitment undertaken by the company to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations: defeating poverty (including healthcare) and consolidating the informed and responsible use of medicines mean returning value to the community in a concrete way, following ESG criteria.

“For the past ten years, IBSA Farmaceutici has been backing Banco Farmaceutico, supporting all those initiatives that tangibly assist people who are in situations of economic and social hardship and who, for this reason, are unable to take adequate care of themselves. Drug Collection Day is a vital appointment to bring to light the emergency situation of health poverty conditions in which many families live” – claimed Patrizia Puppi, Senior Corporate Communication & CSR Manager, IBSA Farmaceutici. “Today this situation is unacceptable, and everyone’s commitment and solidarity are needed, so that no one is forced to give up a fundamental right, which is the care of one’s health”.

More can be done, and everyone can contribute to further improving these results. To do this, just go to a participating pharmacy and donate over-the-counter medicines: every gesture is not only useful, but becomes critical.