High-cost drug access expands to private hands

Greece is expanding entree to high-cost medications by allowing backstage pharmacies to dispense drugs antecedently available lone done state insurer EOPPY outlets, where diligent wait times routinely transcend 90 minutes.

The Health Ministry aims to displacement astir 67,000 of EOPPY’s 180,000 monthly prescriptions to backstage pharmacies. Currently participating pharmacies tin dispense treatments for aggregate sclerosis, oncology, and biologic agents for tumors, with hepatitis B and asthma medications being added successful aboriginal June.

The program’s motorboat successful February was rocky – lone 1,330 medications were dispensed crossed astir 8,000 participating pharmacies successful the archetypal month. Officials person since relaunched the inaugural alongside a nationalist consciousness campaign.

The Panhellenic Pharmaceutical Association has raised information concerns astir location transportation and organisation done 64 decentralized municipal points, warning of cold-chain risks and insufficient pharmacist oversight. President Apostolos Valtas said the relation would prosecute ineligible action.