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Athens, January 21, 2025.– With the participation of representatives of the State and the Official Opposition, institutional bodies and high-ranking executives of the Healthcare sector, the cutting of the New Year’s pie of the Hellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Companies (SFEE) took place yesterday, Monday, January 20, 2025, at a central hotel in Athens.

The President of the Board of Directors of SFEE, Mr. Olympios Papadimitriou in his speech noted that “Unfortunately, the effects of the crisis continue after our exit from the memorandums. The system has been underfunded over time and this has created a huge gap that has translated into huge returns for the pharmaceutical industry, but also into a significant increase in patient copayment.»

Continuing his address, the SFEE President stated “Today, we are called upon to find holistic solutions that will improve the patient’s quality of life beyond treatment and increase life expectancy. We need to understand the challenges patients may face throughout their journey, with the ultimate goal of co-creating solutions that help optimize the experience for the patient, caregivers and healthcare professionals.”

Concluding his speech, Mr. Papadimitriou stressed: “A gradual substantial investment in medicine is needed, with a significant increase in public pharmaceutical expenditure based on the real needs of Greek patients, while substantial reforms must be made that will reduce unnecessary costs. All of us who work in the pharmaceutical industry are working tirelessly for a healthier and more resilient Greece. Our goal is for all those living with a disease to be able to hope for a better tomorrow.»

In his address, the Minister of Health, Mr. Adonis Georgiadis stated: “When I took over the Ministry of Health, I stated from the very first meeting with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry that I understand how unacceptable and incalculable the levels of refunds are and that measures will be taken to address them. Our strategy is based on two axes: increasing expenditure and implementing structural measures to reduce clawback. Since then, our Government has proceeded with a series of measures to rationalize the clawback and the reduction targets set for the year 2024 seem to be achieved. With the active-inactive AMKA, the electronic prescription in hospitals, with new locked protocols, we expect to perform further in the measures within 2025 and therefore, better numbers. At the same time, I have announced the intention to create a transparent and predictable fiscal environment and provide incentives, while prioritizing signing a memorandum of cooperation with the pharmaceutical industry, which will put both sides’ commitments in the longer term.”

Representing the patients, the President of the Hellenic Cancer Federation, Mr. George Kapetanakis noted that “In a country that is growing at the highest rate in Europe, we believe that now is the time for a new agreement between the state, industry, the oncology community and civil society. The model we follow until today is now obvious that it leads nowhere and only produces pathogenesis. We urgently need a new long-term agreement which, through a new different perspective, leaving behind memorandum practices and mentalities, will shape the conditions for a model that, among other things, is imperative to promote transparent cooperation between the state, industry, the medical community and civil society, with shared responsibility, aiming at faster approval and reimbursement of new treatments.  focus on addressing unmet medical needs and promoting equal universal patient access, reducing inequalities and promoting justice.”

The cake was cut together with the Board of Directors of the Association by the Minister of Health, Mr. Adonis Georgiadis.