Patients in Greece are facing some of the longest delays in Europe when it comes to accessing newly approved medicines, with the average wait time now stretching to 654 days. This striking figure, revealed in new data from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), highlights deep-rooted structural issues in the Greek healthcare and regulatory system that continue to hamper timely access to innovative treatments.
Two recent reports—the WAIT Indicator and a detailed analysis by the CRA on the causes of medicine unavailability—underscore the challenges European countries face in ensuring equal access to pharmaceutical innovation. The WAIT Indicator, which tracked 173 new medicines approved between 2020 and 2023, found that across the European Union, patients wait an average of 578 days for access. In Greece, that wait is considerably longer, approaching two full years.
One of the primary obstacles lies in Greece’s reimbursement system. Pharmaceutical companies are only allowed to apply for public reimbursement of a new drug if it has already been reimbursed in at least five out of eleven specific European countries. This policy is tied to the country’s external reference pricing model and adds a significant layer of delay to the process. Compounding the issue are funding constraints within the National Organization for the Provision of Health Services (EOPYY), a complicated pricing framework, and slow-moving administrative approvals.
These challenges are not unique to Greece, but they are particularly acute there. Across the EU, fewer than half of all approved innovative medicines are made available to patients, and only 29 percent are fully covered by national healthcare systems, according to 2024 data. The differences in access between countries are striking: in Germany, new medicines become available in just 128 days on average, while in Portugal, patients wait up to 840 days.
The CRA report further reveals that the causes of such delays are complex and multifaceted. They include sluggish regulatory reviews, protracted cost-effectiveness assessments, redundant documentation requirements, and underdeveloped healthcare infrastructure. Access is especially inconsistent when it comes to advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), which often require specialized handling and delivery systems.
