Greece is expanding access to high-cost medications by allowing private pharmacies to dispense drugs previously available only through state insurer EOPPY outlets, where patient wait times routinely exceed 90 minutes.
The Health Ministry aims to shift roughly 67,000 of EOPPY’s 180,000 monthly prescriptions to private pharmacies. Currently participating pharmacies can dispense treatments for multiple sclerosis, oncology, and biological agents for tumors, with hepatitis B and asthma medications being added in early June.
The program’s launch in February was rocky – only 1,330 medications were dispensed across approximately 8,000 participating pharmacies in the first month. Officials have since relaunched the initiative alongside a public awareness campaign.
The Panhellenic Pharmaceutical Association has raised safety concerns about home delivery and distribution through 64 decentralized municipal points, warning of cold-chain risks and insufficient pharmacist oversight. President Apostolos Valtas said the association would pursue legal action.