Pharmacies in Athens and Piraeus are closed on Thursday, 5. April 2012, due to protest rally. Greek Pharmacists Association called the owners of 6,000 pharmacies to join the rally outside the building of EOPPY, the National Health Service Agency, in Maroussi suburb of northern Athens. EOPPY was established three months ago as an umbrella of social security funds. According to Greek pharmacists, EOPPY turned into the biggest debtor and owes them 300 million euro, which are unpaid debts by the insurance funds before the merger.
Yesterday, the owners of private clinics and laboratories had protest outside EOPPY claiming 1.4 million euro unpaid debts. Laboratories will stop perfoming tests on credit as of 9. April 2012.
On Wednesday, pharmacists decided to stop giving prescription medicine on credit to some 9 million insured.
People in need of medicine have to pay the drugs by their own pockets and request refund from the insurance fund. This can take up to 2 months.
PS My aunt, 78, was telling me that in order to submit her refund request, she had to wait for two hours standing line. Then she was told, she had to come after a week to submit her request…
