Getting to Know Israeli Medications: Tips for New Physicians
- Rivka Lebrett
- Nov 23
- 2 min read
One of the harder parts of making Aliyah as a doctor, is figuring out which medications actually exist in Israel and what they’re called. The guidelines, drug availabilities and prescribing habits are different, and to make things even more confusing, most medications are known by their brand names and not their generic names.
Coming from the UK, where I only ever used generic names, this was a real adjustment. Amoxicillin suddenly became Moxipen, Metformin was Glucophage, and Ramipril turned into Tritace. Even now, I often mix them up, and it can be frustrating (and a bit embarrassing) not to be able to recall the name for a very basic antibiotic or antihypertensive. But honestly, this is just part of the integration process, and it does get easier.
The Most Useful Tool: The Israeli Drug Registry
Your new best friend will be the Israeli Drug Registry (מַאֲגַר הַתְּרוּפוֹת (ma'agar ha-trufot)) by the Ministry of Health:
Every approved medication in Israel is listed there, along with formulations and all available brand names.
You can search in English or Hebrew and it provides all the information you may need, including whether it is include in the 'Health Basket'.
In Israel, the Health Basket (סַל הַבְּרִיאוּת (sal ha-bri’ut)) is the list of medical services, treatments, medications, and technologies that every resident is legally entitled to receive through their Kupat Cholim (HMO).
The basket is publicly funded, standardized nationwide, and updated yearly by a government committee that decides which new treatments to add based on medical benefit and cost.
Anything outside the health basket may require supplemental insurance or private payment.
Checking Availability in Pharmacies
Sometimes a medication officially exists in Israel but is impossible to find locally. Before embarking on a wild goose chase or sending your patients on one, you can simply check pharmacy stock online at the appropriate websites linked below. Simply search the drug you want and select the city and branches of interest and it will tell you if it is in stock or not.
When a Drug Is “Off the Market”
Every Oleh will at some point hear from a pharmacist that a certain medication is currently out of stock and can't be found anywhere. To verify this or understand when it will be coming back to the shelves, check the official Ministry of Health shortage and discontinuation list:
It includes planned stops in marketing and temporary shortages reported to the Ministry.
Final Thoughts
Learning the Israeli medication system feels overwhelming at first, especially when you're already juggling language, culture, and a new workplace. But with time and repeated exposure, the names become familiar, alternatives become obvious, and you’ll soon find yourself explaining them to the next new Oleh doctor.
Until then, bookmark these links, be patient with yourself, and know that you’re definitely not alone!