It’s a well-worn principle. When the poorest in society need healthcare, it falls on the state to meet their needs – to some extent at least. But what when we are talking about the healthcare needs of an entire nation?
Greece is in dire financial trouble – you don’t need me to tell you that. But it was recently revealed that the country owes drug companies nearly £1 billion. Greece’s healthcare system relies almost entirely on pharmaceutical imports.
Drug suppliers seem to be facing a tough choice of continuing to throw money away or to withhold potentially life-saving treatments for those who need them.
This is not the first time a situation like this has arisen. In 2002, Argentina was facing a financial crisis and some drug companies responded by agreeing to continue supply for a while for no payment.
But even that isn’t necessarily as simple as it sounds, without measures in place to stop Greek firms exporting the free or heavily-subsidised drugs they have received to help ease their financial woes.
Some drugs imported into Greece are already re-exported to other European countries under EU free-trade rules.
Simply stopping supply is a very politically risky option, as Novo Nordisk discovered when it threatened to stop insulin supplies when Greece’s finances started to collapse five years ago.
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