Genoa’s municipal pharmacies: collecting unused pharmaceuticals for those who need them

Fondazione Gigi Ghirotti Genova ETS
Type of organisation or company
Country
Italy
City
Genova
Language for original content
Key Area
Project elaborated in partnership
Yes
Submitted by
Liguria Circular
Start/End date
Ongoing
Yes
Type of funding
Farmacie Comunali Genovesi
Description

The municipal pharmacies of the city of Genoa, in partnership with the Associazione Gigi Ghirotti, organise the collection of unused pharmaceuticals to provide for the needs of those would otherwise struggle to afford them.

Through this project, Genoa's eight Farmacie Comunali distribute these reused pharmaceutical products, which must still be unopened, unexpired, and not thermolabile, to the cities humanitarian and health NGOs. Before they are distributed, all pharmaceuticals are further checked by the pharmacists.

Pharmacies become collection points where local citizens can drop off pharmaceuticals they will not use. The main benefits of the activity:

  1. It reduces the consumption and wastage of pharmaceuticals, thus reducing both the economic and environmental costs of their production and their disposal.
  2. It allows health and humanitarian NGOs and the people that are assisted by them to not to have to buy expensive medication that they would have to partly or fully pay for.
  3. Finally, it will also reduce the expenses of the Italian Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (National Health Service) that covers parts of the costs of many of the pharmaceuticals concerned.
Main results

The Associazione Gigi Ghirotti, who undertook a similar project in 2015 without the assistance of the municipal pharmacies, at the time collected and "reused" pharmaceuticals for a total value of 497,292 euros. The value of "reused" pharmaceuticals for "Il Farmaco allunga la vita" project is expected to be much higher, thanks to the contribution of the Farmacie Comunali.