Tsipras meets with pharmacists association on medicine shortages

Main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Alexis Tsipras underlined the need for immediate measures against the huge shortages in medicines at a meeting on Monday with the Pharmacists Association of Athens, noting that "this very serious problem should be addressed immediately with checks in the market and at the pharmaceutical wholesalers and the ban of parallel exports in order to ensure the adequacy and the citizens' access to medicine."

"We are worried because we are again in front of a resurgence of the health crisis with the outbreak of viruses and of COVID-19," he said.

The government shows tolerance to wholesalers who export to Europe for profit while being responsible for supplying the domestic market, because Greece has set and low prices, Tsipras added.

On his part, the president of the pharmacists association Konstantinos Lourantos said that "I have never experienced (shortages) like that in the 44 years that I have been in the profession."

He said that over a year ago the pharmacists had warned the government of the shortages but the Health Ministry did not listen.

Lourantos also pointed out the lack of drug market controls, adding that the parallel exports had doubled in the last year.