Medicinal chemistry

The Athens Public Prosecutor’s Office has pressed serious criminal charges, including eight felonies and two misdemeanors, against those arrested for the fraud scheme against the Greek National Organization for Healthcare Services (EOPYY).

The dialogues captured during the investigation by the Economic Police, which halted the group’s activities, shed light on the criminal practices of organizations made up of doctors and pharmacists who defrauded EOPYY through fictitious prescriptions.

Two criminal organizations involved in serious fraud against EOPYY were dismantled through fraudulent prescription of pharmaceutical products. The total damage to the organization exceeds €3,500,000.

Notably, among the falsely prescribed medications were narcotics and other psychotropic substances, some of which are in shortage both in Greece and internationally.

In Bulgaria, 22 municipalities are experiencing a critical shortage of pharmacies, leaving residents without essential medications. In some areas, there are no pharmacies at all, while others have just one that does not operate during the night.

The Ministry of Finance has disclosed its affirmative stance on allocating resources for covering the entire cost of 56 drugs targeting cardiovascular diseases, such as those addressing hypertension, arrhythmia, and other frequently occurring chronic ailments. The co-payment will be lowered for more than 300 medications.

An investigation has been launched after a Russian family promoted a pharmacy on their social media account, claiming that their medications were cheaper and making negative statements about other pharmacies in the southern province of Antalya's Kemer district.

Due to medication shortages, more pharmacists are returning to their laboratories and offering an additional service in their pharmacies that is often overlooked: the preparation of galenic formulations.

According to the acting director of the children's clinic in Tirova Sinia Dui, the two admitted boys are stable and are expected to be released for home treatment in a few days.

27,650 packs of Ozempic are provided for Bulgarian patients. This quantity of the medicinal product will be available in the country at the beginning of next week - on March 21. This was announced today by the Minister of Health, Dr. Asen Medzhidiev.

Pharmacists in Attica have announced a four-hour work stop on Wednesday in support of the strike called in the aftermath of the Tempe railway disaster.

Pharmacies will close from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Attica Pharmaceutical Association said.

Their counterparts in Thessaloniki said they would strike from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.