INSTITUTIONS
Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic
www.health.gov.sk
State Institute for Drug Control
This institute, under the Health Ministry, is responsible for supervising the quality, effectiveness and safety of drugs and medical devices and maintains a database of drugs.
www.sukl.sk
Health Care Supervision Authority
The authority supervises health-care providers and public health insurance. It also receives complaints and appeals from citizens.
www.udzs.sk
National Health Information Centre
This centre helps to standardise the health-care information system, gathers, analyses and provides statistical data and provides library and information services in medical sciences and health care. The centre is also responsible for the National Health Register.
www.nczisk.sk
Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic
This authority provides specialised health protection services in the fields of environmental hygiene, child and youth hygiene, food hygiene, preventive medicine, protection against health effects from ionising radiation, epidemiology, medical microbiology, health education and health-care statistics. It provides education for students of public health in these fields.
www.uvzsr.sk
Source: www.zzz.sk
ORGANISATIONS
Slovak Red Cross
Slovak Red Cross is the only national society of the Red Cross which has been recognised by the Slovak government. As an auxiliary organisation to the public administration bodies, it fulfils tasks described by international agreements and Slovak law.
www.redcross.sk
Association for Protection of the Rights of Patients
This association is a non-governmental organisation overseeing patient advocacy initiatives with the aim of protecting the rights of patients and informing the public about problems in health care, and about the rights and duties of patients.
www.aopp.sk
National Transfusion Service
The National Transfusion Service is supported by the state and organises blood donations throughout Slovakia.
www.ntssr.sk
HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES
Všeobecná Zdravotná Poisťovňa (VšZP)
VšZP is the oldest and biggest health insurance company in Slovakia. This state-controlled insurer covers more than 55 percent of all insured Slovaks.
www.vszp.sk
Spoločná Zdravotná Poisťovňa (SZP)
SZP is the second state-controlled health insurer. Its main shareholders are three Slovak government ministries: the Defence Ministry, Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Transportation, Posts and Telecommunications.
www.szp.sk
Dôvera
Dôvera claims to be the biggest of the private health insurance companies operating in Slovakia, with more than 860,000 people insured with the company. It is the product of a January 2007 merger between Dôvera and Sideria.
www.dovera.sk
Union
Union is another private health insurance company. Its sole shareholder is the Dutch company Eureko B.V. which is a leading provider of health insurance across Europe, with businesses in 13 countries.
www.unionzp.sk
Apollo
This private health insurance company has been operating in Slovakia since 1995, originally as the Chemical Health Insurance Company Apollo, and since 2005 as a joint-stock company.
www.apollo.sk
CHAMBERS
Slovak Medical Chamber
The Slovak Medical Chamber is an independent, non-governmental, non-political professional organisation representing physicians in Slovakia. It supports their needs and protects their professional interests, participates in development of suitable conditions for doctors and seeks to increase the quality of health care.
www.lekom.sk
Slovak Chamber of Pharmacists
The Slovak Chamber of Pharmacists represents pharmacies and pharmacists. Its website provides an address book of pharmacies and a registry of members of the Chamber, hosts a discussion forum and provides a list of regional chambers.
www.slek.sk
Slovak Chamber of Dentists
The Slovak Chamber of Dentists is an independent, non-governmental, non-political professional organisation which supports the interests of dentists, participates in developing conditions for the improvement of oral health and the quality of dental care.
www.skzl.sk
Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives
www.sksapa.sk
Slovak Chamber of University-educated HealthcareWorkers
www.skvvzp.sk
Slovak Chamber of Other Healthcare Workers, Assistants, Laboratory Workers and Technicians
www.skizpalt.sk
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
Gedeon Richter
This Hungarian company was established in 1901 and has had an office in Bratislava since 1996. The company produces and distributes drugs, active substances and intermediates and conducts R&D for human drugs. Their production portfolio includes generics, patented drugs and licensed products.
www.richterg.sk
Krka Slovensko
Krka’s generic products are present on many markets in different parts of the world. Their business strategy focuses selling in several different regions, including south-east Europe, eastern Europe, central Europe, western Europe and non-continental markets.
www.krka.sk
Novartis
Novartis is a leading firm in the area of generics, vaccines and consumer health products with around 100,000 employees working in 140 countries.
www.novartis.com
Pfizer
Pfizer is an international pharmaceutical company focusing on research and development of new drugs. The company has been present in the Slovak market since 1991 and sells 223 registered drugs in Slovakia.
www.pfizer.sk
Roche
Roche makes products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
www.roche.com
Sanofi-aventis
This Slovak branch company is part of one the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, with more than 100,000 employees in 100 countries.
ww.sanofi-aventis.sk
Teva Pharmaceuticals Slovakia
This international pharmaceutical company produces generic drugs and active pharmaceutical substances. Its headquarters is in Israel and its main markets are the US, Europe and Israel.
www.teva.sk
Zentiva
This international pharmaceutical company focuses on development, production and sale of generic pharmaceutical products. The company has production plants in the Czech Republic, Turkey, Romania and Slovakia.
www.zentiva.sk
Author: Compiled by Michaela Stanková
