2024-02-18 19:17:44
The significant burden on the participation of medicines brought about by the implementation of the new price list, from last Monday, has also caused reactions among the insured of Ioannina.
Even if the selling price for some has been reduced, policyholders are forced to pay higher co-payments, up to 80%, on more than 1,700 generic drugs. In fact, even for medicines that had zero participation, some may now have to pay up to 17 euros, as stated by pharmacist Yiannis Bousvaros, representative of the Pharmaceutical Association of Ioannina in the Panhellenic Pharmaceutical Association.
Mr. Bousvaros clarified that pharmacists have no responsibility for setting the prices of medicines, which is done exclusively by the Ministry of Health. The increase in drug participation is due to the activation of the law of 2021, to remove the equation of the insurance price of generics, with the retail price.
In essence, this difference results from choosing a different drug from the cheaper generic with the same active ingredient. If a patient chooses to buy a more expensive medicine with the same active substance, then the difference between the retail price and the insurance price is covered by him.
However, in the specific law there were regulations, which even differentiate the active substance, resulting in even greater problems for the insured. In cholesterol medicines, for example, EOPYY covers the lower price of other active substances that have the same effect, which means that if a doctor has prescribed a different substance, the insured person will either have to change the prescription or bear the cost difference.
“A solution must be found, because we have become the recipient of all these complaints,” noted Mr. Bousvaros.
Regarding the distortions created, the president of the Panhellenic Pharmaceutical Association discussed with the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis, with the latter, speaking to ERT, announcing a regulation so that the burden on the participation of the insured does not exceed three euros for any generic drug.
As the Minister of Health emphasized, “this cures all those cases that you read and many told us and rightly their complaints and also leads to a rationalization of the pharmaceutical expenditure, as we will continue to reimburse the cheapest generic, but we will also avoid high charges ».