Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis on Monday referred to the generic medicine vs the patent drug option available to patients under public health insurance coverage and to the increased contribution they will have to pay if they choose the patent drugs instead of the generic, a measure effective as of today.
In an interview with ANA-MPA Web TV, he said that public health services provider EOPYY “will give to patients good medicine for which they will pay only half of the contribution toward its cost if they opt for it”.
“If the patients choose a less expensive medicine, compared with the reference price, they will pay half the contribution, namely, 12.5 pct from 25 pct,” he said.
“But if they choose the expensive patent drug because they think – and not the medical scientists – that it is better, then they will have to bear the cost of their choice,” the health minister said, adding that “if they want to be extravagant they should pay the cost”.
According to Georgiadis, the measure will correspond to 150 million euros in annual savings for EOPYY.
Responding to a relevant question on whether the amount of 1.5 billion euros in state funding will be earmarked for EOPYY allowing it to repay part of its overdue debts to pharmacists and other health services providers dated before December 31, 2011, he said that the organization’s debts are being covered by the state.
(source: ana-mpa)
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