Legal aspects related to marketing and use of medicinal products in Greece.

Drugs and all medicinal products are in a special category. The manufacturing, marketing authorization and the distribution of them within the market, require fulfillment of particular conditions compared with other consumer goods. Additionally, the safety of drug use is an important issue for the public health, involving State and insurance authorities, physicians, pharmacists and drug companies. In today's health care environment, any authority involved in therapeutic interchange issues should be knowledgeable about the legal and medical issues associated with this practice. The aim of this study was to provide an analysis of Greek pharmacy legislation and an insight into the infrastructure of the Greek system that is responsible for the safety of the use of medicinal products from the Public Health Standpoint.