Pharmacy and GHS
1. When are the drugs included in the STS?
The drugs are included in the GHS since 1 June 2019.
2. Which drugs are covered by the GHS?
The GHS offers a large selection of prescription-only medicines that participate in the GSE. GHS covers medicines that are used both in acute and chronic illnesses as well as in severe and rare.
The medicines covered by the GAS are included in the Pharmacy List which will be posted on the GHS website (www.gesy.org.cy).
The GHS covers prescription drugs, that is, medicines that are taken by the pharmacy, need to have a prescription, based on the relevant legislation. Non-prescription medicines (such as non-prescription drugs) such as vitamins, painkillers, paracetamol, formulations for treating cold symptoms such as cough syrups, etc.) will not be covered by the GAS.
3. What are generic medicines?
Generics, are drugs that circulate after the prototype patent expires and are as safe and effective as the prototypes. The GAS covers both generic and novel medicines.
4. Which pharmacies will I serve?
You have free choice of pharmacy. You can visit any private pharmacy that is affiliated with the GAS or a public pharmacy located in remote areas where there is no private pharmacy. The pharmacies participating in the GAS are specially marked and can also be found on our website (www.gesy.org.cy).
Some specialized drugs, such as cancer, rheumatology and neurology, will still be available from the hospital's state-owned pharmacies, the Oncology Center of the Bank of Cyprus, the German Oncology Center and the Institute of Neurology and Genetics, as is done today.
5. Can I get my medication if I do not have the prescription with me?
The pharmacist can find your recipe in the GTS Information System after you give it your ID and date of birth.
6. What do I pay for medicines?
GHSY fully reimburses the cheapest available medicine and in this case you pay € 1 per medication. If two (2) boxes of the same drug are prescribed due to an increased dosage, you will still be charged € 1 total. This amount is called Completion.
If your doctor prescribes a pharmaceutical product other than the cheapest of the category, you will pay the price difference from the one that fully compensates for the GAS. This amount is called Contribution II. Contribution II will be paid in addition to the Contribution.
7. How much Can I pay?
Supplementary amounts such as € 1 per medication, € 1 per laboratory test, € 6 for a referral to the Special Doctor, € 10 per radiodiagnostic examination (eg CT scan, MRI), are added together. When these amounts reach the annual ceiling of € 75 (for children and young people up to 21 years, EWC recipients or low pensioners) or € 150 (for other beneficiaries), you will not be paying for the remainder of the year.
8. How much is a recipe valid since it is issued?
With a prescription issued for the first time, you can take your medications from the pharmacy within ten (10) days. Then the prescription ceases to be valid and you should visit your doctor to issue you another.
9. How do I get medications for chronic conditions?
Recipes for chronically ill medicines last up to six (6) months. These are called repeating recipes. The pharmacist will give you a quantity of medicine for one month and you should visit the same pharmacy every month to get your medicines. During 6 months you can take your medication without having to visit your doctor to get a new prescription.
10. How will the doctor know the medications I take?
The first time you visit your GP will be taking your medicine boxes with you to see what you are getting and recording them in your personal dossier. Then what medications you receive will be posted to the IT System and the physician you visit can see them.
11. Are supplies consumed within the GAS?
During the first phase of the GAS, the consumables for the control of diabetes are covered. These supplies will be supplied by the pharmacies involved in the GAS.
