File photo. [AP]
The Health Ministry has submitted legislation establishing an “Innovation Fund” to expand patient access to advanced medicines approved by the European Medicines Agency but not yet available in Greece.
The fund, administered through national health insurer EOPYY, would be financed directly by the Health Ministry. A dedicated committee would review applications from pharmaceutical companies, negotiate discounts based on estimated drug value, and advise the ministry on fund inclusion. Effectiveness reports would be compiled periodically to determine whether drugs remain in the program. A national patient registry would support the initiative.
The bill also authorizes EOPYY to deploy artificial intelligence systems to detect provider fraud, verify reimbursement claims, and manage patient complaints. A separate mobile application would allow oncology and hematology patients to monitor symptoms and communicate with their physicians.
Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis called the legislation “a decisive step toward a more modern, fairer and more effective health system.”