Home delivery of high-cost medicines starts Monday

A much-anticipated home delivery service for high-cost medications begins in Greece on Monday, with some 139,000 patients suffering from chronic and serious illnesses expected to benefit from easier access to treatment.

The new service – a first by a public health insurer in Europe – abolishes the need for these patients to get their medications from a handful of specialized pharmacies run by the National Organization for Public Health (EOPYY), often facing a long journey to the dispensary and queues.

To use the service, patients can apply online, through a new call center (18181), or in person at EOPYY pharmacies and service points. They will need an electronic prescription and, if needed, a digital medical approval. Once the request is approved, their medications – including those requiring cold-chain handling – will be delivered within 24 to 48 hours.

Prescriptions are reviewed and filled by licensed pharmacists, while delivery is managed by a certified logistics company and can be made to patients’ place of work or vacation homes.

To apply online, patients need to log on to www.eopyy.gov.gr. The website is in Greek only, however, so non-Greek speakers may need to ask their pharmacist for assistance. They also need to have Taxisnet credentials, a social security number (AMKA) and tax ID (AFM), while first-time users will need to verify their email and phone number.

“For those unfamiliar with online systems, help desks and the 18181 line are available to assist with the application,” said EOPYY President Theano Karpodini.

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