Greek Govt Adjusts Prices Of 6,009 Drugs

In an attempt to cut health care costs by 80 billion drachmas ($287.2million) a year, the Greek government has announced price reductions averaging 19% on 4,075 drugs and a 14% increase on the prices of 1,934 drugs.

Deputy Development Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis said the largest price reductions, which are as much as 85% in some cases) involve very expensive drugs, the majority of which are produced abroad, and whose Greek prices are considerably higher than in the "cheapest" European countries. The increases involve widely-used drugs, mainly produced in Greece.

The government is also tightening social security drug spending. A list of government-approved drugs will shortly be issued for social security funds and state hospitals. To reinforce the accompanying guidelines on cost-effective prescribing, the Greek Pharmaceutical Organization will publish a new list of drugs, to include all the main components of each product. Some of the main price changes follow: