Israeli Drug Database

This skill provides DRUG INFORMATION ONLY, not medical advice. Never recommend specific medications, dosages, or treatment changes. Always direct users to their physician or pharmacist for personal medication questions. Drug coverage and pricing data may change -- verify with the user's kupat cholim for current copay amounts.

Step 1: Identify Drug Query Type

Step 2: Drug Lookup

Search the MoH drug registry:

• By trade name: Search Hebrew or English brand name (e.g., "Acamol", "Optalgin")
• By generic/active ingredient: Search by active substance (e.g., "paracetamol", "dipyrone")
• By registration number: Direct lookup by mispar rishum

Key fields returned:

Step 3: Health Basket Coverage

Check if a drug is covered in the national health basket:

Coverage tiers:

Copay ranges (approximate):

• Generic drug: ~10-20 NIS per package
• Brand-name (when generic exists): ~30-50 NIS per package
• Specialty/biologic: Variable, often subsidized for qualifying patients

How to check: Query sal briut formulary via MoH data, or check kupat cholim website

Step 4: Generic Alternatives

To find generic alternatives:

1. Identify the active ingredient (chomer peeil) of the brand-name drug
2. Search the registry for all products with the same active ingredient and strength
3. Filter for currently registered (active status) products
4. Compare:
   • Same active ingredient and strength
   • Same dosage form (tablet, capsule, etc.)
   • Different manufacturer (generic producer)
   • Typically 40-60% lower price

Common Israeli generics:

Step 5: Drug Safety Information

Provide safety context (NOT medical advice):

Patient information leaflet (alon la-mitan):

• Available in Hebrew for all registered drugs
• Published on MoH website and inside drug packaging
• Contains: Indications, contraindications, side effects, dosage

Drug interactions:

• Cross-reference by active ingredient
• Common interaction categories: blood thinners, diabetes medications, blood pressure drugs
• Always recommend consulting pharmacist for interaction checks

Pregnancy categories:

Recall and safety alerts:

• MoH publishes drug safety alerts at health.gov.il
• Pharmacovigilance reports via Yellow Card system

Step 6: Prescription Status

Israeli prescription categories:

Example 1: Drug Lookup

User says: "Tell me about Acamol" Result: Acamol -- Trade name for paracetamol (acetaminophen). Active ingredient: Paracetamol 500mg (tablet form). OTC -- no prescription needed. In health basket with minimal copay. Multiple generic alternatives available. Common uses: pain relief, fever reduction. Max daily dose: consult leaflet (refer to physician).

Example 2: Generic Alternative

User says: "Is there a cheaper alternative to Lipitor?" Result: Lipitor contains atorvastatin. Multiple generic atorvastatin products are registered in Israel at the same strengths (10mg, 20mg, 40mg, 80mg). Generics are typically 40-60% cheaper. All covered in health basket. Switching from brand to generic requires physician approval -- discuss with your doctor.

Example 3: Health Basket Check

User says: "Is Keytruda covered by kupat cholim?" Result: Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is partially in the health basket for specific approved indications (e.g., certain cancers). Coverage depends on diagnosis and indication. For indications not yet in basket, may be available through supplementary insurance (shaban) or compassionate use. Contact kupat cholim oncology coordinator for specific eligibility.

Scripts

• scripts/lookup_drug.py — Look up common Israeli medications with health basket coverage status, find generic alternatives for brand-name drugs, and display pregnancy risk categories and Israeli prescription classification types. Supports subcommands: common-drugs, generics, pregnancy-categories, prescription-types. Run: python scripts/lookup_drug.py --help

References

• references/drug-registry-guide.md — MoH drug registry field definitions (trade name, ATC code, registration status, etc.), Israeli prescription category breakdown (OTC, mircham, mircham meyuchad, sam mefakach), health basket copay tiers, and generic drug switching guidance. Consult when interpreting registry data fields or explaining coverage tiers to users.

Error: "Drug not found in registry"

Cause: Drug may be registered under different name, or not registered in Israel Solution: Try searching by active ingredient instead of brand name. Some international brands are marketed under different names in Israel. Check if the drug is registered at all -- not all drugs approved abroad are registered in Israel.

Error: "Health basket status unclear"

Cause: Drug may be covered for specific indications only, or recently added/removed Solution: Health basket is updated annually. Check the most recent published formulary. For edge cases, contact the kupat cholim's pharmaceutical committee (vaada le-trufot).

Error: "Price information unavailable"

Cause: MoH price list may not be current, or drug is hospital-only Solution: Check with local pharmacy for current retail price. Hospital-administered drugs are not priced in the retail price list.