ADHD
ADHD medication for adults in Greece: what to know
How adult ADHD medication works in Greece: two categories, how the decision is made, e-prescription without AMKA, and what to do if a medicine is not sold here.
Important. This article explains how things work in general. It does not recommend any medicine, dose or product. Whether you need medication, and which one, is decided only after an assessment with the doctor, and no prescription is promised in advance.
Short answer
In Greece, medicines for adult ADHD are prescription-only, and the decision to use one is made together with your doctor after a proper assessment. Two broad groups of medicines exist, stimulants and non-stimulants. Only a very small number of ADHD medicines are on sale in Greece at the moment, and if a medicine you need is not sold here there is an official route to ask for an individual import. This page explains each step so you know what to expect.
If you are hesitant about medication, that is a reasonable starting point, not an obstacle. Medication can begin as a trial that can be stopped, in agreement with your doctor, and the assessment comes first either way, so that the diagnosis guides the treatment and not the other way round.
Two broad categories: stimulants and non-stimulants
Medicines used for ADHD fall into two broad groups. Stimulants are one group. Non-stimulants are the other. They are different kinds of medicine, taken in different ways and with different possible side effects, which is why the choice is personal and not something to copy from another person or from an online forum.
What does the research say? A 2025 systematic review and network meta-analysis of 113 randomised trials with 14,887 adults found that, after about 12 weeks, medicines from both groups reduced the core symptoms of ADHD more than placebo, on both self-rated and clinician-rated scales [1]. Psychological approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy showed benefit only on clinician-rated measures, so their effects were less consistent [1].
Notice what that means in practice. A medicine can help with symptoms, but it does not build routines, repair a chaotic week or change how you handle your day.
Whichever group is chosen, the approach at this practice is the same: start low and adjust gradually, with an if-then plan agreed from the start. If a side effect appears, you already know what we will do. If there is not enough benefit after the trial period, you know what changes next. And when part of the plan works, a targeted addition is preferred to changing the whole treatment.
How the decision is made
Assessment first. The doctor needs a diagnosis before discussing treatment. The usual assessment at this practice is two appointments with a structured interview (DIVA-5). You can read more in Adult ADHD assessment in Greece.
Options on the table. Medication, psychotherapy (the doctor has specialist training in cognitive behavioural therapy), practical strategies, or a combination. European consensus guidance describes effective, evidence-based treatments for adult ADHD [2].
A decision you share. I present the alternatives and we decide together. If we choose medication, we agree beforehand on the side effects to watch for, when they usually appear, and a trial period after which we review it together.
A date to review. We agree what you want to change, in concrete terms, and when we will check whether it is changing, because otherwise, after a few weeks, there is no way to tell whether anything is helping.
Be careful with all-or-nothing thinking here. “Either a pill fixes everything or it is worthless” is a trap. If a medicine does not solve everything, does that mean it failed? Not necessarily. It may be doing one job, such as helping you focus long enough to use a routine, while the routine, the agenda and the concrete next steps do the rest. Action comes before mood, and a plan you can actually carry out beats a perfect plan you cannot.
And needing medication is not a weakness. It is one of the options, to be weighed like any other.
Before medication for ADHD, three checks come first. A preventive cardiology check. A screen for bipolarity, because if it is suspected, mood is stabilised first, since ADHD treatment could trigger mania. And a look at how intense anxiety or depression is right now: when they are intense, they are treated first, because ADHD treatment can make them worse.
Which ADHD medicines are on sale in Greece?
As of 29 October 2026, according to the practice’s information, Concerta and Ritalin are marketed in Greece. No other ADHD medicine is currently marketed in Greece. We re-check this about every six months, because availability can change. This is a statement of availability only. It is not a recommendation, a comparison or advice about doses.
Prescriptions in Greece, in brief
Prescriptions in Greece are issued electronically. If you have no AMKA, for example as a visitor or a new arrival, the doctor can still issue an e-prescription at this practice with only your passport and an email address. The code arrives by email and you show it to the pharmacist. The route also applies to controlled medicines and works the same way for tourists, and nothing is reimbursed by EOPYY, so you pay the full price at the pharmacy. The pharmacist checks the details against your passport, so give your name exactly as it is written there [3][4]. The step-by-step guide is in Prescriptions in Greece without AMKA.
If you do have an AMKA, the reimbursement rules for ADHD medicines under EOPYY will be explained at your appointment.
What if a medicine is not sold in Greece?
If, after the assessment, a medicine that is approved elsewhere but not marketed in Greece becomes clinically relevant, the official route is an “individual order” through a private pharmacy. According to the Greek medicines agency (EOF) procedure [5]:
The doctor completes a medical certificate (Form A) explaining why the medicine is needed and why the medicines marketed in Greece are not enough. The form also asks whether the medicine falls under the narcotics law (3459/2006).
You give the form to a private pharmacy.
The pharmacy sends the request to EOF.
EOF checks whether the medicine is lawfully marketed somewhere and whether the choice is justified compared with the medicines available in Greece. It replies by email, approving or refusing.
If approved, the pharmacy imports the medicine, either directly from a pharmacy warehouse abroad or with the help of ΙΦΕΤ.
This is a request, not a guarantee. EOF can refuse, and a medicine that is not approved anywhere cannot be imported this way [5]. The official procedure does not state how long approval and delivery take, what they cost, or whether a controlled ADHD medicine needs an additional permit.
If you live outside Greece, the rules on prescriptions and on recognition of a diagnosis differ from country to country, and a video appointment does not by itself allow cross-border prescribing. Tell the practice your country of residence before you book.
Next step
If you are wondering whether medication could be part of your care, the first step is the assessment, not the pharmacy. You can book an appointment, in English or Greek, in Trikala or online. See also adult ADHD care and medication management.
Educational information. It does not replace an individual clinical assessment. Do not start, stop or change any medicine without speaking to a doctor.
Sources
Ostinelli EG, Schulze M, Zangani C, et al. Comparative efficacy and acceptability of pharmacological, psychological, and neurostimulatory interventions for ADHD in adults: a systematic review and component network meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry. 2025;12(1):32-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00360-2
Kooij JJS, Bijlenga D, Salerno L, et al. Updated European Consensus Statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD. Eur Psychiatry. 2019;56:14-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.11.001
mitos.gov.gr (Ministry of Digital Governance). Application of the Electronic Prescription System (E.P.S.) to third-country and European citizens. Accessed 29/10/2026 (the page states last modification 14/10/2026). mitos.gov.gr
Joint Ministerial Decision Δ3(α)/33959/28-6-2024, Government Gazette B’ 3800/01.07.2024 (legal basis, as cited in source 3).
EOF (National Organisation for Medicines). Procedure for individual orders of medicines within approved indications from abroad via EOPYY or pharmacies (posted 6/2025, updated 1/2026). Accessed 29/10/2026. eof.gr (PDF)
Statement by the doctor, 29/10/2026: availability of ADHD medicines in Greece; prescription without AMKA (passport and email only, no EOPYY reimbursement, also applies to controlled medicines and to tourists).
