Health Minister Panagiotis Kouroublis on Sunday announced a reduction in the deductible paid by beneficiaries for the purchase of pharmaceuticals based on income criteria.

Speaking on a television news program, he said the measure will be taken in the next few months. He also said the system for physicians’ appointments to the public health system will also change.

Furthermore, he repeated the leftist government’s leitmotif of giving “priority” to “vulnerable groups.”

“It’s unacceptable for me to pay the same rate with someone who is unemployed. There are cases that deductible reaches 80%”, he said, saying the previous government increased the rate paid by the insured for the purchase of medicines.

As he explained, five years ago the contribution for pharmaceuticals was 12%, before reaching an average of 34%.

Greece in the past was one of the world’s leading consumers of pharmaceuticals, per capita, in the world, while at the same time leading (from the bottom) in terms of use of generic drugs.