The National Organization for Healthcare Services Provision (EOPYY) in Greece will complete the nationwide rollout of its home delivery service for high-cost medicines by the end of June 2025, with implementation beginning in May.
This initiative started a year ago for select patient groups and will now expand to all eligible beneficiaries, potentially covering 125,000 patients. Currently, 72,000 patients fill their prescriptions at EOPYY pharmacies in Athens and Thessaloniki.
EOPYY’s Chairwoman of the Board of Directors told Euractiv, “We’re extending this pioneering service—offered for the first time by a European insurance provider—to all patients at no cost.” The service targets patients with chronic conditions, mobility issues, or those in areas lacking EOPYY pharmacies, aiming to cut down on long wait times. Of the eligible patients, 41% (29,500 individuals) rely on medications for autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, and supportive chemotherapy drugs such as erythropoietin and white cell growth factors.
The process will be fully digital, managed through a new e-platform launching alongside a centralized call center and unified request system on March 5, 2025. EOPYY staff will provide support at pharmacies and via the call center for those less tech-savvy. The platform is designed to improve service quality and streamline communication with patients. “We aim to ensure faster, safer management and delivery of medicines at home, following European guidelines and Good Distribution Practices (GDP),” the Head of EOPYY stated. The digital shift also aims to reduce bureaucracy, minimize the carbon footprint by cutting transportation and packaging waste for temperature-sensitive drugs, and enhance efficiency.
While EOPYY fully funds the service, the role of community pharmacies in distributing high-cost medicines remains uncertain. In January, the Minister of Health met with the Panhellenic Pharmacy Association and pharmaceutical representatives, agreeing on a framework to allow some prescriptions to be filled at private pharmacies if patients opt for it. Discussions include a possible €20 dispensing fee per prescription for pharmacists, but no timeline has been set. The Ministry of Health noted that further internal discussions are needed to assess costs, and a final decision will follow the full implementation of EOPYY’s expanded home delivery service.