The “strange” decisions of the Ministry of Health will consciously lead to shortage of heparin in the country

The problem with them Low molecular weight heparin With this year it was revealed Companies went to the negotiating team They are in for a surprise When they found it Up to 90% off

A thriller builds strong nerves Negotiation for low molecular weight heparins, which seems to lead to a dead end. Now the Scarcity threat These are essential in many cases Patient Type Formulations Know, with Minister of Health, Michalis Chrysochoidis is responsible And the government’s tolerance is indicated by sources from companies participating in the process.

The problem with them Low molecular weight heparin With this year it was revealed Companies went to the negotiating team They are in for a surprise When they found it Up to 90% off. In essence, the Commission called companies “Pay in advance” clawbackFor a category protected from compulsory income in previous years, these are products that have had scarcity issues in the past.

Specifically, both Vasilis Kigilias as well as Thanos Pleuris, with successive ministerial decisions exempting heparin from mandatory reimbursement, created closed budgets for blood derivatives. Both decisions were based on reasons to protect public health and were allocated to a budget of 56 million euros per year. In this direction, the companies submitted their proposals again this year, but the Ministry of Health changed its opinion.

They try to explain this change in the pharmaceutical market, which “empties” the previous ministers of health. raises questions for “weird” And “Target” resultswith the ultimate goal “Push” profits in specific ways. That the IFET settlement fell on the table is no accident, basically suggesting the ministry’s tough stance and breakdown of negotiations. The IFET solutionHowever, it is known Always damaging the state As it introduces any formulas at multiple prices, a deficit must be created to be implemented as a mechanism. Therefore, Mr. Chrysokoides faces the paradox that his policy of creating a shortage of low-molecular-weight heparin came at a time when he recognized drug shortages as the number one problem to be addressed.

The Low molecular weight heparin A class of anticoagulants that has become an integral tool in the management of various medical conditions in daily clinical practice. They are used as anti-coagulants after surgery, pregnant women, kidney patients etc. According to treatment protocols, they are the primary drug of choice for the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolic disease. In 2018, shortages of raw materials for the production of heparin created shortage conditions around the world. This resulted in an increase in demand and continued increase in the price of heparin. Then the Covid-19 pandemic compounded the problem, as low molecular weight heparins were used in the treatment of the disease. The global problem of heparin shortages also affected Greece, while the burden of automatic income exacerbated the problem of shortages. Indeed, low molecular weight heparins have been included in the European Commission’s recent decision for the first edition of the EU’s list of essential medicines, with the aim of strengthening the supply chain at the European level. As emphasized, a drug is considered essential if it is used in serious diseases and cannot be easily replaced by other drugs. Inclusion on the list does not mean that the drug is already in short supply or will be in short supply in the future. The European Commission clarifies that preventing defects is crucial because they can cause significant harm to patients and significant challenges for healthcare systems.

Therefore, the The Ministry of Health’s tactic is also inconsistent with European guidelines. The question is who is responsible for patient suffering if the country eventually leads to a shortage of low molecular weight heparin? Finally, with the issue of influenza vaccines already being mishandled by the ministry’s political leadership, some are now wondering if there is a question of targeting entrepreneurs in the sector personally.

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