EOF: 233 drugs are in short supply – What measures does the health ministry consider

The number of people in shortage on the Greek market is 233 according to the updated list published by the National Medicines Agency ( ) today Thursday (21.03.24). According to the FDA, in March deficiencies were reported in 233 drugs compared to 193 in shortages in February and 109 in December 2023. In the up-to-date list of the FDA, there are 188 “limited availability” drugs, 128 of which are missing from the pharmacies’ shelves. Also, six are not prescribed, 40 hospital, 10 contrasts and four vaccines. The deficiencies include 47 preparations, which are classified as ‘permanent and exceptional coverage’. ‘Measures for cheap drugs’ Referring to drug shortages, the President of the EOF, Evangelos Manolopoulos, argued that only illegal exports “dry” the purchase of drugs, which is now a criminal offence. “This is a problem created by pharmaceutical stores that may choose medicines, export them before giving them to pharmacies and that is why a necessity has been created for years. Some drugs that run such risks cannot be exported. And today this whole ban applies. So talking about drugs that are on the export ban list makes no sense. Unless the extraction is illegal. But this is something else and cannot be done in a wide range and this is something that is now criminal,” he stressed on Wednesday (20.03). 24) in the First Program. Mr. Manolopoulos reiterated that the EOF seeks ways not to disappear from the pharmaceutical market cheaply and absolutely necessary drugs for a number of therapeutic categories, which do not benefit companies due to a price to produce or import them into the country. One of the ways is to give verbal increases in medicines currently having a price of less than EUR 5. Explaining the problem, the president of the EOF, pointed out: “What happens over time and is a part of the problem of deficiencies, is that some drugs that are old and very cheap, have no commercial advantage for companies and may also be harmful, so they cease to circulate them and so the shortage is created. And then the FDA is forced through the IFT to search them, find them, import them and usually at multiple prices.” “There, therefore, for these very cheap drugs it is an incentive to be released on the Greek market by companies is to give a reasonable increase so that they are not harmful and make sense to remain on the Greek market. He is currently in consultation and we have asked companies with such medicines to ask for price and be one of the cheapest in Europe,” concluded Mr Manolopoulos. By Janna Soulaki / iatropedia.gr