Greece
Methadone/Buprenorphine Treatment: available
Currently (January 2016), there are 59 opioid substitution treatment units operating in Greece, 11 of which provide methadone treatment. Methadone is only available in units in Athens and Thessaloniki (Salonica). Buprenorphine is available in Athens, Thessaloniki (Salonica), Patras, Alexandroupolis, Veroia, Volos, Kavala, Katerini, the island of Corfu, Komotini, Larissa, Preveza, Agrinio, Herakleio (Crete), Retymno (Crete), Chania (Crete), Kalamata, Leivadia, Chalkida, and the Island of Rhodes. Soon further treatment units will be established in other cities /places/parts of Greece.
Information on how to arrange continued dosing:
1. The patient (or his legal representative) must send an application to one of the two Admission Centers, one located in Athens, the other one located in Thessaloniki – continued dosing/treatment must not be arranged directly via a treatment unit – mentioning that s/he wishes to receive methadone or buprenorphine while staying in Greece and providing the dates of arrival and departure:
Athens
Admission, Information and Orientation Centre (KYEP)
3rd Septemvriou 21 str.
104 32, Athens
Greece
Phone: ++302105201985 or ++302105200391
Fax: ++302105229224
Email: yyae@okana.gr
Thessaloniki
Admission, Information and Orientation Centre (KYEPTH)
Anagenisseos 44A str.
546 27, Thessaloniki (Salonica)
Greece
Phone:
++302310566134 or ++302310566135
Fax: ++302310525348
Email: kyepthes@okana.gr
2. Together with the application patients must
send in a medical certificate from their home prescribing doctor/clinic which
clearly documents that they participate in opioid substitution treatment. The
certificate must contain information on for how long a patient has been enrolled
in treatment, the current medication and daily dose, other medical conditions
and their regimen, and any other useful information according to the doctor’s
judgement.
3. The certificate must be in the original and
up-to-date. It should be certified by the health authority responsible at the
patient’s place of residence in his/her home country or a Greek embassy or consulate.
If a
patient is already in Greece when applying for continued dosing, then the
authenticity of the doctor’s signature should be certified by his country’s
consulate or embassy, or, otherwise, the Greek Ministry of Foreign affairs.
4. If the certificate is written in English,
German or French, no formal translation is required. Certificates in other
languages must formally be translated.
5. The documents sent in are studied by a
special committee and the proceedings will be signed by the General Director of
OKANA (Greek Organization Against Drugs).
6. After receipt of the application and the
medical certificate the whole procedure takes three days. Then the patient will
be informed on the decision and on which treatment unit will be prepared to
continue dosing. We strongly advise to send in applications at least one month
before a planned journey to Greece.
7. Continued dosing is possible for one month.
Dosing can be extended for another four weeks, but in such a case patients must
apply for continued dosing again.
8. Patients from European Union member
countries have to follow special steps when planning to permanently stay in
Greece and in opioid substitution treatment (for further info contact us or
OKANA).
Importation
of Methadone/Buprenorphine: possible
Patients from one of the Schengen signatory
countries (currently Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain,
Sweden) must carry with them a special form (if available in their country)
called “Certification to carry drugs and/or psychotropic substances for
treatment purposes – Schengen Implementing Convention – Article 75”. Travellers
from other countries are advised to carry with them a letter from their
prescribing clinic or GP.
Further Contact Addresses:
|
|
|
(This page last revised and updated January 5, 2016)
