Greek pharmacists and doctors begin nationwide strike

[News_Editor]

Greek pharmacists and doctors begin nationwide strike

2012-01-03 09:02:10 GMT+7 (ICT)

ATHENS, GREECE (BNO NEWS) -- Greek doctors and pharmacists have started off the new year with strikes after comments from the country's health minister, local media reported on Monday.

Following statements by Greek Health Minister Andreas Loverdos, who said the state intends to reduce the state-mandated profit margin on prescription, pharmacists across the country announced a two-day strike for Monday and Tuesday, Athens News reported.

In addition, pharmacists said that those with social security funds will not be able to obtain their prescriptions on credit, as it had been previously announced by the health ministry.

This comes after the Panhellenic Pharmacists Association (PFS) claimed that the Greek Health Ministry made the announcement without consulting them. PFS also argued that the initiative further downgrades the already small profit margin of pharmacists, while reimbursement operations from the government were also delayed.

Furthermore, the Panhellenic Medical Association (PIS) announced that doctors working in hospitals and local health centers from the Social Security Foundation (IKA) will be carrying out a four-day strike from Monday to Thursday.

Greek Labor Minister Yiorgos Koutroumanis denounced the strike and the decision to stop providing prescription on credit for those with health insurance and pensioners. Koutroumanis argued that pharmacists were trying to prevent the National Organisation for Provision of Healthcare Services (EOPYY) from working, and said that on Thursday, pharmacists would be paid 10 days earlier than the 45-day reimbursement period.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-01-03

[GentlemanJim]

Hippocrates will be spinning somersaults in his grave.

[Credo]

If Greece started taxing all the illegal drugs, they could probably get out of their current mess. Even better yet, since the Dutch are going to stop non-residents from visiting their coffee shops, the Greeks could open them, tax them and proceed to financial stability.