The influence of the economic crisis on the European Welfare State and on the pharmaceutical policy in Greece

Welfare state and social policy of Western countries are divided into four categories according to the state's intervention and participation in addressing social risks, in production and in reproduction of the labor force. These categories are the liberal, the corporatist, the social democratic and the mediterranean model. The current European socio-economic reality proved the effectiveness or not, of different models of the welfare state that had developed in European countries and the need for development of social networks, such as family and voluntary organizations, in order to have effective social protection. The purpose of this paper is to present a typology of social policy and the welfare state based on the literature and the different effects of the economic crisis in the European welfare state. It will also determine the inclusion of Greece in any of the existing models and analyze comparatively the social costs of EU countries-15-based on the tool of ESSPROS. Pharmaceutical expenditure, as a part of the social expenditure, is a significant portion of health expenditure, which in Greece made a significant decrease in 2012. Therefore the measures that contributed to this fall will be described and analyzed as well as their impact on pharmacies. This cost does not always match the efficiency and flexibility of the welfare state and the international economic situation has serious implications for the implementation of all social policies. Each welfare state responds differently to the economic crisis and austerity measures needed at the level distribution of social expenditure and health expenditure.