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6th Pharma & Health Conference 9 July 2015 Ethniki Conference Center ETHOS EVENTS, the magazine on health policy and pharmaceuticals “Pharma & Health Business” and the portal “virus.com.gr” are pleased to present the 6th Pharma & Health Conference, which will take place on Thursday 9 July 2015 at the Ethniki Conference Center. This year’s conference will be attended by officials from the Ministry of Health, academics, experts and scientists, representatives of various institutions, medical editors and health market executives. The organizers’ main goal is to start an open and public discussion on all the vital issues regarding the health care sector, aiming to take a crucial step forward, so that Greece will finally start working on a strategic plan for its citizens’ health care.
Round Tables 1. Viability of the Health Care System: is there a solution to this Gordian knot? 2. Pharmaceuticals: which should the country’s priorities be when designing a relevant national strategy? 3. Primary Health Care: attainable goal or delusive dream? 4. TAXIS System in the Health Care sector: what will the benefits be?
INNOVATIVE DIGITAL SERVICES This year’s conference will be available for live casting and streaming on the web page: pharma.ethosevents.eu.
Detailed information on the registration procedure and on following the conference on the web will soon be available on the web page pharma.ethosevents.eu.
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Overview Analysis The country’s health care system is at a critical turning point. The new government has set as its immediate priority dealing with the humanitarian crisis and reinforcing health care services. In particular, it has focused on measures which aim to improve the access of uninsured citizens to health care and has decided to hire approximately 4,500 employees for the hospitals of the National Health System within 2015. Furthermore, it has announced a series of measures, such as:
The electronic interconnection of all health infrastructures so as to limit the wasting of funds The activation of the Negotiating Committee of the Greek National Health Care Services Organization (in Greek: ΕΟΠΥΥ) with the aim to reimburse pharmaceuticals and medical devices based on proven therapeutic value Contribution of the insured to pharmaceutical costs based on social and economic criteria Restructuring of the primary health care around the general practitioner or family doctor and better utilization of the doctors of the Greek National Primary Health Network (in Greek: ΠΕΔΥ) New type contracts with medical professionals of the private sector Establishment of a closed budget for high-cost medications.
However, until now very few measures have been applied. This fact combined with the more and more intense absence of liquidity as well as the general uncertainty on the country’s economy, have a tremendous impact; health care professionals, pharmaceutical businesses and private providers of the Greek National Health Care Services Organization (ΕΟΠΥΥ) have never been more worried on the viability of the health care system. Under this light, this year’s 6th Pharma & Health Conference comprises 4 round tables which will discuss the following main topics: 1. Viability of the health care system 2. Policies on pharmaceuticals 3. Electronic Health (e-Health) 4. Primary Health Care Round Table 1 Viability of the health care system: is there a solution to this Gordian knot? Every day we realize that the public health care system, because of considerable budget cuts in the last years but also due to its chronic ineffectiveness, can no more meet the citizens’ needs sufficiently. At the same time, the continuing absence of liquidity suffocates health care professionals and businesses.
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The major question in the minds of citizens as well as health care professionals and businesses is: will the country be able in the immediate future to cover the costs of new, innovative treatments and technologies in the health care sector? The health care sector was where Greece was mostly derailed and thus brought to the brink of bankruptcy. It is also the sector where the signs of the tragic repercussions of the crisis are most evident, as millions of Greeks have lost their jobs and health insurance and have no money to buy their medications. As a result of the application of the Memorandum and the implementation of desultory horizontal measures, public expenditure on pharmaceuticals is reduced by 60% compared to 2009. Every day there are new obstacles to the patients' access to treatments of rare and serious diseases (cancer, autoimmune disorders, hematologic illnesses etc). The government, from its part, has announced a series of measures such as:
The electronic interconnection of all health care infrastructures with the aim to control expenditure New type of contracts with all health care services providers of the Greek National Health Care Services Organization (ΕΟΠΥΥ) Activation of the Negotiating Committee of the Greek National Health Care Services Organization (ΕΟΠΥΥ) with the aim to reimburse pharmaceuticals and medical devices based on proven therapeutic value Restructuring of the primary health care around the general practitioner or family doctor and better utilization of the doctors of the Greek National Primary Health Network (ΠΕΔΥ).
It is indispensable that the State – with the collaboration of scientific organizations and the support of businesses – comes up with a specific plan for an actual reform of the national health system, which on one hand will meet the needs of the citizens and on the other will ensure the efficient management of resources and the profitable utilization of innovations and new technologies.
Basic discussion topics
What is the situation regarding the funding of the health care system? How can innovations in new treatments and technologies contribute to the viability of the national health care system? Negotiations with the Greek National Health Care Services Organization (ΕΟΠΥΥ) on the reimbursement of new treatments and technologies: challenges, obstacles and prospects Which sectors of the health care system should the funds of the new National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) be invested on?
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Round Table 2 Pharmaceuticals: which should the country’s priorities be when designing a relevant national strategy? The government has clarified what its main goals in the pharmaceutical sector are: the promotion of the use of Greek generic medications, the reinforcement of domestic production and the adoption of measures of control on the use of high-cost medications (tumor drugs, antiretroviral and biological medicines etc). The Minister of Health has announced the enactment of a closed budget on high-cost medications and the opening of negotiations with pharmaceutical industries, starting with the issue of new treatments on hepatitis C. However, the details of the relevant measures have not yet been determined, so it is not possible to implement them. This adds to the general uncertainty on the future of the Greek economy, which afflicts health care professionals and businesses. The possibility of the doctors to give prescriptions using the brand name of a drug is back in force. In addition, the government has expressed its intention to apply this measure on other cases as well, such as on prescriptions of treatments for chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol etc. However, it seems that this measure is strongly opposed by the “institutions” which, during the negotiations on the new bail-out program for the Greek economy, clearly demanded the reinstatement of active-substance-based prescriptions for all treatments, starting from July 1st 2015. There is also the possibility of an increase of VAT on pharmaceuticals. The numbers regarding public expenditure on pharmaceuticals during the first 5 months of 2015 confirmed the predictions of all market factors, who maintained that keeping to a closed budget was an unreachable goal. Within the first 5-month period, the budget was exceeded by approximately 130 million euro, forcing the government to implement a new rebate system based on the bulk of prescribed medications. The country's political authorities have clarified that at least for this year, ΕΟΠΥΥ's standing budget will remain in force – even though there are discussions on the exclusion of costs on vaccines and VAT.
Basic discussion topics
What exactly is innovation in the pharmaceutical sector?
Negotiations with the Greek National Health Care Services Organization (ΕΟΠΥΥ) on new, innovative medications: challenges and prospects
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Use of generic drugs: why can we not achieve our goals?
Contribution of the insured to medication costs based on social and economic criteria
Prescription based on active substance: myths and truths
Establishment of a closed budget on high-cost medications
How could Greece utilize investment funds from abroad, such as on clinical research?
Round Table 3 Primary Health Care: attainable goal or delusive dream? The restructuring of the primary health care system is high on the government's agenda. The officials in the Ministry of Health are right to believe that an integrated primary health care system should have the family doctor at its core; this would contribute to the improvement of the quality of services offered to the citizens and at the same time limit costs. To this direction, the government will keep working with the World Health Organization, which was hired by the previous government to offer technical support for the achievement of the exact same goal: the building of an integrated primary health care system. At the same time, the Ministry of Health formed a 6-member Work Group, with the mission to study the issue and make suggestions. The common denominator of all the relevant opinions is that the new primary health care system should employ general practitioners and family doctors as well as doctors of other specialties in its various National Primary Health Networks (ΠΕΔΥ). With respect to the controversial issue of the doctors' labor relations in the primary health care system, it is evident that the views of the state officials are divided: some are for full-time and exclusive employment of all doctors, whereas others maintain that the system should be more flexible, allowing agreements of full-time but not exclusive employment with freelance physicians. Moreover, regarding the funding of the reform of the primary health care system, the government reasonably expects that it will be covered by the new NSRF with the cooperation of the “institutions” and the support of the World Health Organization. The new primary health care system will not possibly be fully implemented before an adaptation period of three years.
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Basic discussion topics
What services will be offered to the citizens?
Goals, priorities and obstacles in the Primary Health Care System
What is the relevant cost and how will it be covered?
Human Resources: current situation, prospects
The role of other medical professionals – apart from doctors
Round Table 4 TAXIS System in the Health Care sector: what will the benefits be? In the last years there is a constantly increasing tendency to use information technology in the health care sector. It is obvious that health care executives firmly believe that informatics bring multiple benefits not only to individual users (medical and nursing professionals, management services personnel) but also to the administrations of health care facilities, as functionality indexes enable them to design their strategies more effectively. One of the first measures that the Greek Minister of Health Panagiotis Kouroublis announced was the creation of an electronic system (Taxis) for the health care sector. Practically this system pertains to the electronic interconnection of all health care infrastructures, with the aim to control expenditure and improve the quality of health services provided to the citizens. The ultimate and ambitious goal is the application of the patients’ electronic file and the electronic citizen health card. However promising this may sound, it is extremely difficult to achieve, as the existing information systems in the health care sector are dispersed and not interconnected. At the same time, even nowadays there are hospitals where the electronic systems are not fully functional, despite the fact that in the last years tens of millions of euro have been spent on the procurement of computer equipment and software. This is due to the absence of strategic planning and consistent political volition on the issue of e-health in our country. On the other hand, not all is dark. In spite of the various deficiencies and imperfections, Greece now has a system of electronic prescription of medications and diagnostic tests, which interconnects the whole network of health care services: freelance physicians, pharmacies, hospitals, private clinics, laboratories.
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Furthermore, the National Health System includes many hospitals that have developed – either using their own resources or NSRF funds – electronic systems which have reached a satisfactory level of maturity and effectiveness. What seems to be dramatically lacking is the functional interconnection of all the above as well as the integration of those systems which are still under development. In addition, with the installation of Management Information Systems (MIS), the data taken from one or more systems are converted into information that can prove useful to decision-making procedures. Through the implementation of such systems, a big bulk of data coming from different sources and having various formats can be gathered, analyzed and presented rapidly and concisely to executives whose mission is to advise or make decisions.
Basic discussion topics
What is the current situation in e-health?
Suggestions on electronic interconnection of existing systems
How can the use of such systems benefit the quality of health care services and the administrative decision-making?
Strategic plan on the development of e-health.
ETHOS MEDIA S.A.: 29, Thessalias str. GR-17456, Alimos, Athens, T (+30 210 9984 950)
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Who should attend? This conference is mainly addressed to:
Representatives of Ministries and public authorities
Managers of hospitals of the public and private sector
Chief executives of insurance organizations of the public and private sector
Greek National Pharmaceuticals Organization and regional health care authorities' executives
Clinical Research companies' executives
Greek National Health System Directors
Pharmaceutical companies' chief executives
Medical equipment companies' executives
Researchers
Research Institutions' executives
Pharmaceutical deposits' executives
Medical and pharmaceutical authorities' managers
Academics
Doctors
Journalists
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A few words about the Organizer ETHOS EVENTS ETHOS EVENTS is involved in the planning and organization of conferences, entrepreneurship award ceremonies and innovative events related to the market sectors covered by ETHOS MEDIA S.A. printed and electronic publications. The company aims to offer to the chief executives who work in Greece high quality information and knowhow, which are indispensable tools for business growth and professional success. Our business events are focused on the sectors of exports, pharmaceuticals, clinical research, marketing, corporate social responsibility, investments, insurance, banking, technology etc. ETHOS MEDIA S.A. is also involved in the sector of business magazines and newspapers publishing as well as creation of electronic portals, websites and newsletters. More specifically, ETHOS MEDIA S.A. publishes: HRIMA magazine on investments and finance, Ph.B Pharma & Health Business magazine on health care and pharmaceuticals policies, the insurance magazine Insurance World, bΙΤ & MOBILE magazine and the free press newspapers asfalizomai and aλive. On the Internet ETHOS MEDIA S.A. has created the insurance portal insuranceworld.gr, the portal virus.com.gr on health care and pharmaceuticals policies, the technological portal bITdaily.gr and the web page hrima.gr. It also publishes the weekly electronic newspaper HRIMA Week.
ETHOS EVENTS commits to:
Promoting the conference through its magazines Ph.B Pharma & Health Business, bIT & MOBILE, HRIMA and Insurance World, its online newspaper HRIMA Week, the portals virus.com.gr, bITdaily.gr and insuranceworld.gr, its web page hrima.gr as well as the media sponsors of the Conference.
ETHOS MEDIA S.A.: 29, Thessalias str. GR-17456, Alimos, Athens, T (+30 210 9984 950)
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Sending informative newsletters with the sponsor companies' promotional material to all Greek entrepreneurs and businesses included in its extensive database.
Sending electronic invitations to the guests of the sponsor companies.
Creating a list of participants/ guests to manage and confirm attendance of the Conference.
For 2015, the following events have been planned:
Mobility Forum & Apps Awards
HR Community Conference & Awards
OTCs & Cosmetics Conference
Hospitality Forum & Awards
8th Insurance Conference
9th Ethos Sustainability Forum & Awards
6th Pharma & Health Conference
2nd Greek Pharmaceutical Industry Conference
3rd Digital Banking Conference
4th Greek Exports Forum & Awards
2nd Pan-Hellenic Medical Technology Conference
Innovation Forum & Awards
4th Clinical Research Conference
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Communication For information related to sponsorship programs: Konstantinos Ouzounis CEO Tel.: +30 210 998 4864 E-mail: ouzounis.k@ethosmedia.eu Christos Charalampakis Key Account Manager Tel.: +30 210 998 4915 E-mail: charalampakis.c@ethosmedia.eu Loretta Boura Advertising Manager Tel.: +30 210 998 4902 E-mail: boura.l@ethosmedia.eu
For information on marketing: Mary Katsaprini Marketing Manager Tel.: +30 210 998 4905 E-maill: katsaprini.m@ethosmedia.eu
For information on the conference program: Emilios Negis Managing Editor, Pharma & Health Business, VIRUS.com.gr Tel.: +30 210 998 4950
For more information on the conference program, collaborating organizations, communication sponsors and journalists: Sofia-Afroditi Voulgaraki Communication & P.R. Manager Tel.: +30 210 998 4901 E-mail: voulgaraki.s@ethosmedia.eu
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Vagelis Sirios Junior Marketing Executive Tel.: +30 210 998 4917 E-mail: sirios.v@ethosmedia.eu
For information on participants’ registration procedure: Konstantinos Salvarlis Conferences Manager Tel.: +30 210 998 4909 E-mail: salvarlis.k@ethosmedia.eu
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