This is how the government strangles greek medicines

In the name of the troika and the fiscal adjustment, the Greek medicine production suffers from the unbearable fines, the rebate and the clawback, by successive horizontal rebates and by prescribing under active substance.

The latter, in fact, leads to the substitution, (ie the phenomenon that the insured receives by the pharmacy, every time, a different formulation for his disease), limits the supervision of a physician in the patient and eventually alienates the patient himself from his medicines, creating confusion and insecurity, since most patients do not recognize their medicines with its name. The entire medical community is also opposed in the measure of prescription with active substance, without brand name, by the physician.

These measures are unfairly, as admitted the Health Minister, M. Voridis in the case of clawback, without a development perspective, which serve short term accounting objectives.
Furthermore, the pricing policy implemented, requires the Greek medicine, (which already offered at low price for the patient), to have crushing prices for companies, leading many of them to a dead end.

In this context, there is much talk about generics, sometimes on twisted base and certainly not for the benefit of Greek medicines. The government of Samaras has turned the debate on the need to increase the penetration of generics in the Greek market, here and now, through price reductions, ignoring the crucial question:

By what kind generic medicines, Greek or imported, will we reach the goal of 60%, which lenders have set? Because if they continue to apply the above measures, it is clear that in the short term, there will be no Greek medicines and foreign multinational generics will take its place in the market.

The quality, safety and efficacy of Greek medicines is certified by EOF (National Organization for Medicines), by European and international monitoring mechanisms, and gives daily exams, successfully, to the markets in more than 80 countries, where it are exported.

But we can not say the same, for cheap generics of foreign companies, which are manufactured in third countries, such as Israel, Pakistan or India, often under dubious conditions. Some of the offenses for which the foreign pharmaceutical of generics have been accused, and have been imposed with heavy fines, are the incomplete compliance with safety rules and international good manufacturing standards, the dubious quality of raw materials and the low-skilled personnel, if not completely unskilled.

Failure to comply with the rules, however, in order to achieve minimum production costs and thus very low price, is a risk to public health. There are many examples worldwide, where took place withdrawals of generics, and even an outright ban of such cheap generics; the government closes the eyes to these examples.

If anyone has doubts, that they will lead us there, if the same policy for medicines continues, he must see the procurement contracts in hospitals.

The model which is applied creates monopolies of a single supplier (a foreigner in the vast majority of cases), by active substance. Although this model has proved unreliable, as it creates drug shortages in hospitals (without penalties for companies that do not deliver the required quantities), the Samaras government insists, blocking the Greek pharmaceutical industry from competitions. Why?

Who benefits from the insistence of the government, not to support the Greek medicines, which currently occupies the third position in the country's exports, but is sidelined within its borders?

How will we achieve the much desired development, when the pillars of economy as the Greek pharmaceutical industry, is "kneeling"?

How the Greek pharmaceutical industry will continue to make new investments to support and strengthen employment and to contribute decisively to the country's GDP?

We have not heard convincing answers from the rulers. Instead, their actions indicate that Health in the country is under overall attack: the pharmaceutical expenditure remains at 2 billion. €, which is insufficient to meet the needs of the insured, who are burdened with high financial contribution.

Furthermore, the government's decision to include the vaccines and the pharmaceutical care for the uninsured in the cost of 2 billion Euros aggravates the situation, further. Pharmacies have empty shelves, while their survival is at risk, after the measures of the troika, which are supposed to stimulate competition. Hospitals falter and the state budget of 2015 provide new cuts to their funding. The units of RPHL are in underperforming with significant deficiencies in medical specialties.

It is obvious that our values and goals are not consistent with those of the government, which leads the Greeks in misery.
Within these conditions of "war", VIANEX remains faithful to the ideals advocated by its 90-year course. We say 'no' to layoffs and wage cuts and we create new jobs. We continue to offer high quality Greek medicines, with new investments, new product design and we increase extraversion. All these years we operate with respect for the health of Greek citizens, without receive the credits.

It is hopeful, however, that the time for change is close, in order to halt the policy of the memoranda, which has brought Greece in the point of health and humanitarian crisis.

The change of policy is the only way, in order the Greek people to have quality health services and the Greek pharmaceutical industry to confirm its role as a factor of healthy development.