OBJECTIVES:  The participation of patients in the cost of pharmaceutical care in Greece has risen from 11.5% in 2008 to 27% in 2014, which mainly affects those with low income and/or chronic diseases. Aim of the present study is to develop an algorithm that will redistribute the burden of cost-sharing in pharmaceuticals, taking into account income and the severity of selected diseases. METHODS:  To achieve consensus among two panels of experts on the determination of borderline “near” poverty, population groups that should be excluded from the participation in medication cost based on socioeconomic criteria, and the co-insurance rates according to the burden of selected diseases, the Delphi method was used. The members of each panel evaluated the items three times, with knowledge of the group responses from the previous rounds. RESULTS:  Income in need of protection was set at 133% of the poverty line. It was proposed that current cost- sharing tiers (0% for heavy diseases, 10% for moderate diseases and 25% for the rest of the diseases) remain unchanged, but redistribution of the tiers was suggested. The algorithm for the estimation of cost-sharing rate was formed as C=0.25*DB_i*(1+IC_j) where C: participation rate, DB_i: the burden of the disease for each i state , i: light (1,0), moderate (0,4), severe (0,0), IC_j: income category, j: very high (0,4), high (0,2), moderate (0,0), low (-0,2), very low (-0,4). CONCLUSIONS:  It is important that fair burden- sharing policies are implemented and that any imbalances relating to the availability and use of pharmaceuticals are restored, as they often raise barriers to patients’ compliance. The adoption of “unequal” policies may be the key to achieve “equity”.