According to research by the Athens Medical Association patients reported that the most important problem they face is being unable to find a doctor contracted with the National Organisation for the Provision of Medical Services (EOPYY). Furthermore many stated that they could not afford the drugs required for their treatment.
Specifically:
18% stated that they were unable to pay for their drugs
11% were unable to easily find the drugs required for their course of treatment
A significant proportion of patients said that they had been forced to discontinue their treatments or skipped doses because they did not have enough money to cover the cost of their mandatory contributions.
Representatives of the Athens Medical Association report that the most significant problem faced by patients is the fact that they cannot afford the required contributions for drug and physiotherapy treatments, they are uninsured and do not have access to new treatments.
They note that patients often purchase generic drugs at the urging of pharmacists with the result being that doctors have a distorted view of their treatment.
Additionally, two out of ten doctors have recently considered seeking employment abroad.
About 6 in 10 doctors and patients believe that the health services have worsened in the last year, while only three out of ten consider them as good as or better than they were in the past.
Only one in four state that they are optimistic for the future, while one in two demands the political leadership intervene in order to improve the system.
Source: To Vima