SFEE supports and reinforces the Greek system of safeguarding the quality of medicines, which is one of the most advanced, efficient, and thorough in Europe. In Greece, the market is made up primarily of branded medicines (branded original medicines and branded essentially similar medicines) and the decision of which medicine a patient will take is made by the physician responsible for the treatment and not by an administrative department that decides purely on the basis of financial criteria. This practice, along with Greece’s excellent distribution chain and the efficient control mechanisms of the National Organization for Medicines, ensure the exclusion of counterfeit medicines from the Greek market. SFEE believes that this system must be maintained at all costs as it is the only mechanism in place to protect the citizens and public health from the possibility of being exposed to counterfeit medicines.

SFEE believes that the European Commission’s proposal for a ban on the repackaging of medicines, in combination with prescribing by brand name and the application of an authenticity tag with a double bar code and a unique serial number on the packaging of medicines, constitute the utmost safety valves against counterfeit medicines. We support the European Commission proposals regarding the adoption of additional legislative provisions that will further safeguard the system. No citizen will ever buy counterfeit medicines in Greek pharmacies.
SFEE fully supports the maintenance and enforcement of this system – which foresees prescribing by brand name, under the sole responsibility of the treating physician - as the paramount initiative to safeguard the quality of medicines and enhance public health.

See the other sections of our Vision:

	Patients’ direct access to medicines
	Streamlining the IT infrastructure of social insurance funds and hospitals
	The flawless operation of the distribution network
	Code of Practice