Drug Policy in Greece

Abstract

The pricing and reimbursement decision-making processes are centralized under the competence of the MoH. Despite the good intentions of the reformers, there are still some aspects of transparency, equity, and long-term sustainability that remain under question in Greece.

Assessing forgetfulness and polypharmacy and their impact on health-related quality of life among patients with hypertension and dyslipidemia in Greece during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Country-level economic and healthcare system capacity critically affect treatment patterns and access and adherence to medications across different settings. In Greece, prescription medications are reimbursed by the National Organization for Health Care Services Provision (EOPYY) and patients shoulder a co-payment (0% for life-threatening diseases, 10% for specific chronic diseases, 25% for all other) plus an out-of-pocket payment of the difference between health insurance contribution (defined according to available generic medications) and the retail price of pharmaceuticals [ 34 ]. Such co-payments are overall low, as Greece has among the lowest medication prices across the European Union, calculated as the average of the two lowest prices in the Euro zone [ 34 ].…”

“…In Greece, prescription medications are reimbursed by the National Organization for Health Care Services Provision (EOPYY) and patients shoulder a co-payment (0% for life-threatening diseases, 10% for specific chronic diseases, 25% for all other) plus an out-of-pocket payment of the difference between health insurance contribution (defined according to available generic medications) and the retail price of pharmaceuticals [34]. Such co-payments are overall low, as Greece has among the lowest medication prices across the European Union, calculated as the average of the two lowest prices in the Euro zone [34]. This, combined with universal health insurance coverage and a high number of community pharmacies (88 per 100,000 individuals; highest across the OECD25 countries) help alleviate access and financial barriers and thus achieve and maintain high rates of medication adherence compared to other countries [35].…”

Awaiting the “catharsis”

“…In addition, pharmaceutical care also suffered from several inefficiencies, including irrational and unmonitored prescribing, induced demand and fear of litigation [8]. Pharmaceutical expenditures increased in Greece in the pre-crisis period at a much faster pace in comparison with the rest of the OECD countries, generating significant problems in the financing and delivery of health services.…”

Στάσεις Και Απόψεις Των Ιατρών Για Τη Φαρμακευτική Καινοτομία Και Επίδραση Στη Συνταγογραφική Τους Συμπεριφορά

“…Η διεθνής οικονομική κρίση του 2009 επιδείνωσε την ήδη δυσμενή δημοσιονομική θέση της χώρας η οποία, ως αποτέλεσμα των υψηλών δημοσιονομικών ελλειμμάτων, του μεγάλου δημόσιου χρέους και της κρίσης δανεισμού από τις διεθνείς χρηματαγορές, υπέβαλε επίσημο (Economou et al, 2017;Κοντιάδης and Σουλιώτης, 2017;Yfantopoulos and Chantzaras, 2018;Μπραουδάκη et al, 2018;Economou and Panteli, 2019) στην οποία βασίζεται και το κείμενο των παραγράφων που ακολουθούν. Στο κείμενο που ακολουθεί, γίνεται επιγραμματική αναφορά στα πιο σημαντικά μέτρα που εφαρμόστηκαν εστιάζοντας στα φάρμακα που χορηγούνται εξωνοσοκομειακά.…”