Pharmaceutical care for uninsured residents is now “open”, after access to public hospitals, with a decree issued by the Ministers of Health and Labour, Messrs. Makis Voridis and Yannis Vroutis, and Deputy FinMin Christos Staikouras.

The uninsured population will have access to all the positive list medicines (those reimbursed by insurance carriers) provided they have a Social Security Number (SSN) and that it is addressed to medical staff of the public health system, ie NHS and Primary Health Care System.

Who the beneficiaries are

In particular, the beneficiaries of free medicines are uninsured Greek citizens, legally residing Greek expatriates, nationals of country-members of the EU and third-country nationals lawfully and permanently resident in Greece, deprived of the conditions to issue an uninsured person’s passbook and who are not insured or have lost their insurance capacity due to debt in their pension funds. Also included in the list of beneficiaries are the dependent family members.

The prescription will only happen after a special electronic prescription within the system where a pre-existing or new special register for the uninsured is to be created. The software will be modified in order to recognize the uninsured as an additional fund. This means that everyone who wishes to have access to treatment will have to issue/acquire a Social Security Number.

Who is required to make out the prescriptions

Those responsible for prescribing drugs to specific beneficiaries will solely be the doctors in NHS hospitals and public service structures of the PHCS’ primary care services.

The drugs covered, have to belong to the list of medicines covered with compensation according to Law 3816/2010.

The prescription of pharmaceuticals necessary for the uninsured will be made through public structures and the use of the electronic prescription system through the issuance of electronic prescriptions which will provide a specific indication.

Where the medicine can be procured

The beneficiaries will obtain their medicines from NHS hospitals, EOPYY pharmacies and EOPYY-affiliated private pharmacies.

In the case of drugs controlled by EOPYY committees and their use is preauthorized in the case of the insured, the same prerequisites as in the case of the uninsured will be followed.

High cost drugs that fall under the second paragraph of Article 12 of Law 3816/2010 will be granted only by EOPYY pharmacies and their provision by valid Drug Holders’ License will continue in accordance with the applicable legislation.