Filenews 31 December 2022 - by Marilena Panayi
From next February, chronic patients who obtain their specialised treatments from state pharmacies will be able to secure stocks for two months and not just one month, as is currently the case. The Health Insurance Organization informed the Cyprus Federation of Patients' Associations about a letter a fortnight ago, informing it that the technical issue that existed in the GHS software system has been settled and therefore the relevant request of the organized patients is satisfied.
It is reminded that based on the way the GHS operates, beneficiaries who have long-term prescriptions have the opportunity to proceed with their execution once a month and procure the appropriate amount of medicines. The OSAC had filed a request with the HIO, as at least for chronic patients who receive their medications from state pharmacies to be granted an exemption. This is because the treatments they receive from state pharmacies are specialized, some of them are not available in state pharmacies in all provinces and patients are often forced to travel from one city to another at least once a month to get what they need.
The HIO had agreed a year ago to satisfy the request of the OSAC, but its decision has not been implemented to date due to obstacles arising from the GHS software.
Finally, the Agency informed the OSAC that "a solution has been designed that will allow the pharmacist to execute two prescriptions at the same time. That is, for a six-month prescription the beneficiary will be able to go to the hospital pharmacy and receive the 1st and 2nd dose together after the 3rd and 4th and finally the 5th and 6th together. This way prescribing is not affected and the change in the IT system is easier. It is expected to be implemented in early February 2023."
Of course, in its letter to the OSAC, the HIO also expresses its concerns about the implementation of this practice and calls on the patients' federation to properly inform its members. "The Agency continues to have concerns regarding the possibility of destruction or non-use of these valuable drugs that if for any reason the patient interrupts his treatment will remain unused at home as was the case during the pre-GHS era. Therefore, the patient movement is expected to promote the responsible use of these products among its members."
Regarding the OSAC's request that chronic patients who have been approved to receive over-the-counter medicines that are part of their treatment through the GHS, obtain these preparations from the pharmacy in their neighbourhood and not be obliged to visit hospital pharmacies, the HIO responded to the patients' federation, that the matter is under consideration.
Specifically and according to the HIO, "due to the fact that the pricing of these drugs is free, the Organization procures them through tenders and concerns a limited number of patient groups". However, the Organization says, "an effort will be made to gradually grant NSAIDs through private pharmacies with the new tenders".
The HIO responded negatively to the OSAK's request for the right of patients receiving specialized treatments to obtain them from the pharmacies of their neighbourhood and not necessarily from hospital pharmacies.
These drugs are specialized and "need specialized instructions for use and storage. Hospital pharmacies have the experience to handle them but also to properly guide patients in their use, since these drugs were mainly given by hospital pharmacies and before the implementation of the GHS. They concern drugs that in their majority have protocols and restrictions and are given after approval by the HIO. The choice to stay in hospital pharmacies was made because of the experience these pharmacies have of handling drugs with approvals." Furthermore, the HIO states, "some of these drugs are intended for the treatment of patients with rare diseases and their supply is preferable to be aggregated from a hospital pharmacy than for patients to look for which private pharmacy can supply them with these drugs" and at the same time, some of the specific preparations, "are secured by the Ministry of Health, so it is preferable to procure them centrally from a hospital pharmacy."
"The fact that the amount of stocks that our chronic patients will receive is changing clearly satisfies us," OSAK president Marios Kouloumas told "F", adding, however, that "for the organized patient movement, the rest of the issues that the HIO has not yet satisfied are of particular importance". As OSAK, "we will continue to claim them because our primary goal is the easy access of our patients to the preparations they need". Of course, "for us, the inclusion of innovative therapies in the GHS is very important and this is still pending".
Oxygen specifications change
Regarding the OSAC's request for the provision of services for the transport of oxygen cylinders to and from patients' homes, the HIO, implicitly but clearly admits in its letter that it is currently unable to resolve the problem. "Following the Agency's contacts with the bottle oxygen supply company, it was found on the one hand that the company is not interested in participating in a possible tender notice of the Organization for the purchase of bottle transport services and on the other hand, due to the legislation and procedures that exist regarding medical gases, there are difficulties in providing this service other than the oxygen / bottle provider." Therefore, as the HIO explains, the only way to ensure these services is that with the expiration of the contracts currently in force and the announcement of a new tender, the provision of transport services for oxygen cylinders will be included in the requirements of the tender. "The Agency intends to include the obligation to transport the bottle in the next tender to be tendered for oxygen supply," the letter said. Regarding the request of organized patients for the provision of oxygen concentrators, the Organization "has begun the process of preparing an open tender to secure them".
INTERVENTION
Patient facilitation
The procedures followed by both the Health Insurance Organization and the State Health Services Organization in some cases, afflict patients and especially chronic patients who anyway are people who daily climb, most of the time tacitly, their own Calvary.
The GHS came to facilitate patients and free them from the excruciating processes of the past. Let's hope that with the new year, the changes that the System needs to become more patient-friendly will begin to be made, since it is not enough to say that the GHS is viable and proceeds based on its budget. Some procedures must be adapted to the real needs of those who use the System.
