Ten new measures to tackle drug shortages
The General meeting was held earlier under the Minister of Health Thanos Pleuris, with the participation of representatives of EOF, IFET, PEF, SFE, PFS as well as a representative of the Panhellenic Association of Pharmacies, regarding the shortages of specific medicines.
It is a common belief of all that this is a global problem which affects our country to a lesser extent mainly due to the presence of industrial units in Greece.
In the measures that have already been taken and related to the limitation of parallel exports and the increase of the pharmaceutical industry in the country, it was decided by the Minister to update the measures as follows:
1) Continuation of inspections of pharmacies for the non-export of elliptical medicines, with the only penalty being the suspension of operations in those pharmacies that do not cooperate or keep a reserve.
2) Continuation of the audit of the pharmaceutical companies to establish that they have the business of medicines to cover the Greek market, especially antipyretic and pediatric medicines.
3) Increase in orders from IFET for the active substances for which there is a global shortage.
4) Information from the EOF about the medicines missing from the market, while at the same time the substitution of medicines will be announced. In this way, the citizens will know that the specific branded medicine, which genetic, corresponding effectiveness, can be procured.
5) Expanding the prescription of generic drugs where there are shortages.
6) Rationalization of prices for drugs that are elliptical and of very low cost value.
7) Existence of continuous cooperation with pharmacists so that the citizen can be served better, when shortages arise.
8) increase in electronic prescription of elliptical medicines.
9) informing doctors about drug shortages, so that the prescription can be adjusted to a corresponding therapeutic value.
10) It was added that the Greek pharmaceutical industry will exhaust the possibilities of increasing the production of generics and the multinational companies that will intensify the import of elliptical drugs.
At the same time, the Minister of Health made it clear that there will be meetings with the medical associations in the near future for information and coordination on the matter.
“Our country”, emphasizes the Ministry of Health, “has taken all the necessary measures so that the global problem of the lack of specific active substances can be dealt with in the best possible way”.
Elena Bregianni