Filenews 14 January 2025 - by Marilena Panayi
The Health Insurance Organisation is promoting three important changes regarding the pharmaceutical sector, which is also considered to be the most important, monitored parameter in terms of the financial data of the GHS for the year 2025.
The General Health System includes, after vitamin D, aspirin, which will be administered to patients who meet specific criteria through the private pharmacies of the GHS.
Private pharmacies are also expected to transfer all other Non-Prescription Medicines (OTC) that exceptionally receive specific patient groups through the System, while a big bet for the Organization is the transfer of specialized and innovative treatments from the Ministry of Health to the GHS.
As we are informed, the procedures for the transfer of NSAIDs from public to private pharmacies are in progress, since in order for the HIO to proceed with the conclusion of new contracts, the stocks already secured for the beneficiaries of the GHS must first be made available through the Directorate of Purchases and Supplies of the Ministry of Health.
To date, these preparations are administered to the beneficiaries of the System only through state pharmacies, which causes particular inconvenience and the decision to transfer them to private pharmacies has been taken after consultation with the Pancyprian Pharmaceutical Association in the middle of last year.
As far as aspirin is concerned, "F" information indicates that the HIO is waiting for the green light from the Central Committee for Changes and Requirements to proceed with the necessary procedures. It is reminded that vitamin D has already been included in the GHS and is administered through private pharmacies since the beginning of last December.
Of course, the biggest challenge for the HIO is the operation of the mechanism for administering specialized and innovative treatments through nominal requests.
As we are informed, the competent committee of the HIO (which now replaces the Committee on Nominal Requests of the Ministry of Health), will soon hold its first meeting to determine how it operates but also to evaluate the requests of patients that have already been submitted to the Organization.
The Commission, if the standards of the Ministry of Health are followed, will probably meet fortnightly. It is reported that the corresponding committee of the Ministry of Health, which met every two weeks, examined and approved hundreds of patient requests per meeting.
Of course, the process of transferring patients who until now have been receiving their treatments through the Ministry of Health is also in progress. These patients will not undergo a new assessment but will continue, if they need it, to receive their treatments unhindered through the HIO.
To date, a few hundred patients belonging to this category have submitted their requests to the HIO. However, the number of patients receiving specialized treatments on a continuous basis is much higher and according to data from the Ministry of Health exceeds 3,000. The process of transferring this category of patients from the Ministry of Health to the HIO began in early December.
The transfer of specialized treatments to the GHS is certain to test the financial strength of the System, since the latest updated actuarial study predicts that both in 2025 and 2026, the GHS Fund will see a decrease in the annual increase in its stocks due to the cost of medicines.
