T. Tryphon : «In two years from now there will be no Greek medicine»

To justify the unjustifiable tried Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis , who was asked for answers to the question of reduced pharmaceutical expenditure and Non- Mandatory Prescription Medicines .

The Minister of Health, in Nickos Chatzinikolaou’s radio show on Real FM, spoke with Deputy National Pharmaceutical Union ( PEF ), Mr. Theodore Trifon , who sounded the alarm about the future of Greek medicine.

Mr. Trifon noted that the budget for medicines is too low and warned that "unfortunately we will probably suffer from drug shortages and increased finance participation" for the insured. He also denounced the noticeable intervention of the Troika , which specifies how they want to allocate those 2 billion , in order to promote specific drugs . If the price reductions and the measure of the prescription by active substance continues, then in a time period of 18 months to 2 years, there will be no Greek medicine, said Mr. Trifon .

Mr. Georgiadis , answering Mr. Chatzinikolaou’s original question whether the target of 2 billion of public pharmaceutical expenditure is feasible, admitted that he had asked to stand at 2,150 billion , however the goal - as said - is determined by the general policy of the government.

Nevertheless , he insisted on defending his policy followed by the blessings of the troika . In January and February, the pharmaceutical expenditure retained within the target due to the cap on prescription and the new form of drug prices. Indeed, in this period the use of generic drags was increased. That is, the two months period of incredible suffering of the insured , with outbreaks of flu to rise dangerously and patients seeking a doctor who has not completed appointments or prescription ceiling , is by Mr. Georgiadis considered successful . Especially since the cheap generic won a larger share of the market, as it set by the memorandum.

Mr. Trifon argued that the “foreign pressures can overwhelm us “ and that the Greek pharmaceutical industry , providing 50,000 direct and indirect jobs , invest in research and development should be among the 2 billion “pie” beneficiaries. If there are no “countermeasures “in the policy applied, the survival of Greek medicine is going to be at risk.

Otherwise, the health minister asked on yesterday's negotiations with the troika about the Non- Mandatory Prescription Medicines, which resulted in disagreement. Troika persist in both the liberalization of prices and outlets of NMPM , ie getting the supermarkets , but also raise a number of issues for the operation of pharmacies , such as opening hours , the ownership , but also to reduce the rate profit pharmacists at 15%. On the Greek side of the argument that if we pass these measures, many pharmacies will be closed down, the troikan Mathias Morse reportedly said: “I do not mind some pharmacies being closed down.”

Mr. Georgiadis refused to comment on Mr. Morse’s words, causing the reaction of Nikos Chatzinikolaou . “You act politely, when they say ‘ let's shut ‘. Discussions are governed by the sense of national interest, not the savoir vivre” he said.

Health Minister however had stressed earlier that "the Ministry of Health got the highest grade concerning the implementation of the program". "Excellent" in the degradation - as many denounce- of public health , but “fail” in defense of jobs and Greek businesses , which in this case concern the families of thousands of pharmacists.