Olympic organizers and world pharmaceutical representatives agree on working hours

Representatives of the pharmaceutical world (chemists, pharmaceutical wholesale stores and industries) and ATHENS 2004 agreed today on the working hours and pharmaceutical provisioning times at Games-time, confirming the partial agreements reached after the dialogue started in November 2003.  

At the meeting held today at the Olympic Games Organising Committee headquarters, the Attica Pharmaceutical Association and the Piraeus Pharmaceutical Association were represented by Mr Lourantos (President of the Attica Pharmaceutical Association), the Federation of Greek Chemists Associations (O.S.F.E.) was represented by Mr Belonis (Vice-president), the Panhellenic Pharmaceutical Wholesale Stores Association by Mr Adamou (President), the Greek Pharmaceutical Enterprises Association (S.F.E.E.) by Mr A. Pantazi, the Panhellenic Union of Pharmaceutical Industries (P.E.F.) by Mr M. Ollandezo (General Manager) and ATHENS 2004 by the General Manager for Coordination with Public Administration and Local Authorities, Athanasios Kantartzis.  

The participants reaffirmed their willingness to cooperate in order to honour the agreement that ensures the smooth operation of the market.

The agreement finalized during today's meeting provides for the following:

• Validity period of the agreement from 2 August until 4 September 2004.
• An increase in the number of day and night duty pharmacies, with special provisions for the areas of Olympic interest: Athens centre (inner ring), Piraeus centre and port, Olympic Road Network (ORN), areas near Competition Venues outside the Controlled Parking (CPZ) and Controlled Access & Circulation (CACZ) Zones.  
• Optional Saturday working hours for Pharmacies until 14:30.
• Providing employees working at pharmacies in zones around Olympic Competition Venues (CPZ, CACZ) with Access and Parking permits for which they should apply at the relevant Municipalities.
• The provisioning of pharmacies by pharmaceutical wholesale stores in the above-mentioned Olympic interest areas and in the CPZ with vehicles smaller than 3.5 tons whose circulation is free and regulated by the existing provisions in the Road Circulation Code.

Trucks over 3.5 tons provisioning pharmaceutical wholesale stores will make supply deliveries at night. More specifically:

• In the centre of Athens (inner ring) between 03:30 and 09:30.
• In the Olympic Road Network (ORN) between 02:00 and 06:00.

The following road arteries are exempted from the above-mentioned arrangements for the ORN - only in regard to transit traffic (stopping and parking prohibitions still applying): 
· Leoforos Kifisou
· Attiki Odos, Imittos Ring Road
· Vari-Koropi Road
· National Roads

In the CACZ and CPZ, between 24:00-07:00 with the necessary adjustments depending on the specific schedule for each Competition Venue.

It was agreed that special care would be given to ensure the provisioning of pharmaceutical wholesale stores, hospitals and pharmacies by pharmaceutical companies with lorries over 3.5 tons, only in cases where this is absolutely necessary and as specified prior to the period for which the measures apply.