NHS pharmacies to open in Piraeus

The clash between ministry and pharmacists is taken to the limit in light of tomorrow’s submission in parliament of the bill with the regulations for their profession.

So, the ministry is responding to the indefinite closure of pharmacies by their Society in Piraeus by opening the hospital pharmacies in order to serve citizens with chronic diseases.

Meanwhile, Athens pharmacists persist in their decision to strike for three days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) and have announced that from Tuesday, February 1, they cease to administer medications on credit to members of four funds (OPAD, TSAY, ISAP, Notaries and Lawyers Fund).

So, ESY pharmacies will serve people from 10am to 3pm. At the same time, in order to diminish the problems faced by the citizens of Piraeus, medicines will be administered from the drugstore warehouses of IKA.

Moreover, minister of Health Andreas Loverdos asked the regional governor Giannis Sgouros to enforce the law on the minimum number of (on call) pharmacies in Piraeus, according to which 20% of the total number of pharmacies in the region are required to remain open.

It is noted that in Piraeus there are 500 pharmacies, but during the multi-day strike only 16 were open and that caused discomfort and queues of people.

Payment of pharmacists by OPAD

Also, as announced by the ministries of Health and Finance, 100mil euros have been transferred to OPAD for the payment of the fund’s debts towards druggists for January.

Furthermore, OPAD has been moved from the ministries of Finance and Health to the general secretariat of Social Security.

Finally, to address the shortage of medicines experienced lately in the Greek market, the minister of Health instructed the Chairman of EOF Giannis Tountas to impose immediate fines on those pharmaceutical companies that create artificial shortages.