Greece introduces emergency plan due to medicine shortages

Greece introduced an emergency plan in response to medicine shortages, local media reported on Tuesday.

Citing Health Ministry officials, the Greek daily Kathimerini said the measures will include a rise in the prices of very low-cost drugs and the participation of the insured in the purchase of medicines.

Other measures include the continuation of audits of pharmaceutical companies that will continue to determine whether they have enough drugs to cover demand in the domestic market, and an increase in orders for active ingredients by the Pharmaceutical Research & Technology Institute, which is responsible for the import, production, and the distribution of pharmaceutical products, it added.

Also, the audits will be stricter if pharmacies stockpile drugs in short supply, so that as soon as the ban on parallel exports is lifted, they can be sold abroad, the daily stressed, adding that if warehouses hold a stockpile or do not cooperate during the inspection, their operation will be suspended.

Decisions were taken during a meeting between Health Minister Thanos Plevris, the Greek agency for pharmaceuticals, as well as the representatives of wholesalers and pharmacies.