Medicines To – A global humanitarian pharmacy initiative
“Medicines To: Pharmacists delivering essential medicines where they’re needed most.”
Medicines To is an initiative under FIP’s HumanityRx programme, supported by our member organisations. It was established in 2022 to respond to disasters and emergencies by facilitating access to essential medicines in a coordinated, safe and needs-based manner.
Each Medicines To project is a coordinated humanitarian effort between FIP’s national pharmacy organisations and local partners in affected areas. Together, they assess needs, source essential medicines, organise logistics, and ensure safe, targeted delivery to communities in crisis. A defining feature of the model is its pull-based approach: funds are raised to purchase exactly what is needed, based on verified lists from organisations working on the ground (e.g., World Health Organization), ensuring appropriateness, safety and feasibility in every context.
Projects are often initiated or led by national pharmacy bodies. For example, the Medicines to Ukraine and Medicines to Gaza were launched by the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA), in partnership with local and international collaborators.
Examples of Medicines To projects
Medicines to Ukraine (2022)
Pharmacists across Europe have responded to urgent requests for specialist help from Ukrainian hospitals by launching a centralised effort. Led by their national pharmacists’ organisations and supported by trusted partners, pharmacists coordinated the sourcing, logistics, and delivery of specialist medicines to meet the needs of hospitals and patients affected by the conflict.
More information: Ukraine
Medicines to Africa (2023)
Pharmacy organisations across Africa came together to form Medicines to Africa, a collaborative humanitarian effort. In partnership with local charities, this project mobilised members of the public across the continent to raise funds and supply much-needed medicines for communities affected by humanitarian crises.
A field report of the work done in Gaza, as of 1 October 2025 from Gift of the Givers, a charity organisation working closely with FIP members in the African region, can be found here.
Colleagues in South Africa have joined Medicines to Gaza as a united humanitarian effort, pooling donations to ensure pharmacists and partners can procure the exact medicines required.
More information: South Africa
Medicines to Gaza (2024)
Launched at the FIP Congress in Cape Town in 2024, Medicines to Gaza was established in direct response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Gaza. The war has resulted in devastating loss of life and the widespread destruction of livelihoods, homes, and essential infrastructure, including the healthcare system. In partnership with local organisations, Medicines to Gaza is coordinating the supply and delivery of priority medicines to support the displaced population under dire circumstances. Read more about the launch here.
More recently, the initiative gained momentum following FIP’s formal Statement on the Israel-Gaza conflict and through the establishment of formal partnerships, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FIP, Pharmacists Without Borders UK (PwB-UK), the Jordan Pharmacists Association, and other charity partners. These collaborations have enabled longer-term coordination, operational planning, and resource mobilisation. The campaign has since progressed from advocacy to structured delivery, partner formalisation, and fundraising. In the UK alone, it has raised EUR 29,617 from 477 individual donors to date (December 2025), supported by strong engagement from community pharmacies.
FIP Regional Pharmaceutical Forums commit to expanding Medicines To efforts
The five FIP Regional Pharmaceutical Forums formally committed to expanding the Medicines To initiative at the 83rd FIP World Congress in Copenhagen, bringing together key partners united by a shared commitment to ensuring access to essential medicines during humanitarian crises.
This collective endorsement reinforces ongoing efforts such as Medicines to Ukraine and Medicines to Gaza and reflects growing recognition of the vital role pharmacists play in crisis response and emergency preparedness.
Global recognition and impact
In September 2025, the Medicines To campaign was recognised as Healthcare Innovation of the Year at the 2025 Chemist+Druggist Awards in London, reflecting its impact and innovation within the pharmacy sector. Read more here.
Building on this momentum, the PDA has launched a “Pharmacists for Humanity” student competition aimed at pharmacy students and trainee pharmacists in the UK under. Registrations are now open until 30th April 2026, with winners being announced in May 2026.
Get involved
The initiative is evolving into a consolidated, global and scalable humanitarian pharmacy model. Priorities include strengthening governance and transparency, expanding regional preparedness and rapid mobilisation, and deepening collaboration with established humanitarian and logistics partners to ensure reliable aid routes in complex environments.
For more information on how to contribute or partner with us, please contact humanitarian@fip.org
