The cost of drugs will increase for Greek citizens following the government’s price adjustment in more than 900 products.
This move was deemed necessary, as, according to Health Minister, Adonis Georgiadis, many drugs were sold at prices below their cost, resulting in shortages or even withdrawals from the market. The price adjustment was made with strict criteria for unique medicines, irreplaceable, which are in long-term shortages and are imported through the Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Technology (IFET) at much higher prices.
In danger of disappearing from the market
According to market representatives, the new prices essentially correct significant distortions as many products were priced below the average of the three lowest prices in the Eurozone or had remained at extremely low prices and were in danger of ” disappearing’ from the market or coming back under a different name or packaging at a much higher price.
However, everyone admits that this move will burden the insured citizens, but it will help maintain trusted and cheap medicine and avoid being replaced by new, more expensive ones.
Pharmaceutical requests and increases
The requests submitted to the National Organisation for Medicines (EOF) by the pharmaceutical companies and pharmaceutical industries concerned 1,242 codes with original and generic drugs whose prices were extremely low.
A price increase was recorded in 923 of them, and in most of them the increase ranges from 1% to 400%.
For example, a medicine for blood diseases that is sold at 1.42 euros will rise to 1.65 euros.
Another drug Lasix will rise from 1.35 euros to 1.89 euros, T3 from 1.59 euros to 4.79 euros, Milithin from 2.85 euros to 5.22 euros.
The oncology drug Etoposide, whose absence from the market has been much discussed recently, rose from 8.11 euros to 22.88 euros.
According to the minister, the pharmaceutical companies have already increased its production due to the new prices and the multinationals are returning the specific drug to the pharmacies.
