Greek Healthcare Environment

The Greek pharmaceutical market is one of the least developed in the European union. The per capita expenditure on drugs was 360€ during 2004. The Greek pharmaceutical market as a whole was worth 3,8 billion € in 2004, with the country's 30 leading pharmaceutical producers (including domestic firms and foreign companies manufacturing in Greece) recording average sales growth of 16% year-on-year in 2004.

The Greek National Healthcare System (ESY) provides primary and hospital health care on a universal basis. Public hospitals operating within ESY include 123 general and specialized hospitals and 9 psychiatric hospitals. 32 of the 123 hospitals have a capacity of over 400 beds providing tertiary and highly specialized care. Hospitals outside ESY are 20 hospitals, including military hospitals, hospitals of the Social Security Institution (IKA) and Teaching hospitals. Moreover, 201 Health Centres operate in rural areas. The number of private hospitals and clinics is 234. They are financed by the social insurance funds through contractual agreements or by the patients themselves. In the primary care there are more than 25.000 private practices and laboratories and 250 diagnostic centres.

Health care in Greece is funded mainly by taxation, insurance funds, private insurance schemes (mixed model). Total expenditure in health accounted for 9,1 of GDP (10.946 mill €), of which public sector accounted for 6.276 (57,3%) and private for 4.670 (42,7%).

The latest Census of Population (conducted in 2001) recorded a population of 10.964.020 persons, increased by 6% compared to 1991. Percentage distribution of population:

By Sex: Males: 49,49, Females: 50,51

By Age Groups: 0-14: 14,12, 15-64: 67,36, 65 years and over: 18,52

According to the 1998 Social Budget, more than 239 social security funds operate in the country, by which 100 offer medical healthcare benefits. The major social insurance schemes are: Social Security Institution (IKA), Organization of Agriculture Insurance (OGA), Fund for Self-employed (OAEE) and Fund for Civil Servants (OPAD). All together, they cover the 94,5% of the population. The rest funds cover another 5% of the population. The remaining 0,5% is uninsured but still has free access to public hospitals and medicinal products

The size of the medicinal market reaches the amount of 2.175 billion € (ex-factory prices, 2001). From this amount, 0.523 billion € (24%) flow from the Public Hospitals/Other State & Health Organizations and the rest 1.652 billion € (76%) flow from the Wholesalers (Pharmacies and estimated Parallel Trade). The correspondent units are: 414.311.000, 50.896.000 and 363.415.000

Zeincro Hellas
30 Anapafseos Street, Athens, Greece
Tel: +30 210 80 47 709
Fax: +30 210 61 34 695
Contact name: Mr. Andreas Moschos (General Manager)

Click here to contact Zeincro Hellas