Industry revenue of »dispensing chemist in specialised stores« in Greece 2011-2023

Although majority of the sectors, including food retail and restaurants have taken a hit due to the on-going financial crisis in Greece, pharmacies seem to be thriving. In fact, according to data from qz.com, Greece has the largest number of pharmacists, per inhabitant, in all of Europe and ranks seventh with respect to the number of pharmacies. Therefore, it is not surprising to see that revenues of pharmacies are projected to rise from 4.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to over 5.4 billion U.S. dollars by 2023. Some of the key drivers for the growth include a rising elderly population coupled with the associate disease burden, cost-effective prices owing to a low VAT rate and the growing popularity of OTC drugs.

Pharmacies allowed to turn into primary health units

According to a new amendment passed in early 2019, pharmacies in the country can act as a primary health unit, performing activities such as vaccinations and first-aid care. However, this has not augured well with the doctors who are demanding the withdrawal of the amendment, stating that non-doctors are not qualified enough to perform medical practices.