PHARMACIES WITH CONTINUOUS HOURS UNTIL 11PM - SEASONALITY IS IN PLACE - WHERE WILL THEY OPERATE THIS YEAR - Filenews 24/3
Pharmacies are now officially open until late at night. The institution of the "seasonal pharmacy" is implemented from this year, based on a relevant decree of the Minister of Health and its main objective is to serve, mainly, the tourist areas in which, due to the increased flow of tourists, the needs differ from the needs within urban cities.
According to information from "F", pharmacies in the free area of Famagusta, Limassol and Larnaca, which had registered to participate, have already begun to apply the provisions of the relevant decree in order to follow the continuous hours during the tourist season.
A prerequisite for a pharmacy to operate as a "seasonal" pharmacy is to remain closed for a certain period of time during the winter.
Specifically, and according to the decree of the Minister of Health, which came into force last January, in order for a pharmacy to operate as a "seasonal" pharmacy, it must remain closed for at least 6 consecutive weeks in winter, have obtained a license from the pharmacy council and after submitting a relevant request three months before the start of the period during which it will not be in operation.
The license, according to the decree, is granted only in cases where the service of citizens residing in the area where the pharmacy is located is not affected. That is, in cases where another pharmacy operates in the same area to meet the needs of patients.
Seasonal pharmacies will be able to operate daily from 8 am to 11 pm. However, minimum mandatory operating limits are set, as during the winter season these pharmacies (when they are in operation) must remain open at least until 18:30, while during the summer season at least until 19:30, in order to ensure the basic service of citizens.
As seasonal pharmacies, this year, it is expected that 12 pharmacies located in the area of the free area of Famagusta, two pharmacies in Limassol and one pharmacy in Larnaca will operate.
Speaking to "F", the president of the Pancyprian Pharmaceutical Association, Plutarchos Georgiadis, stressed that "the effort is to cover the tourist areas where the population during the summer season more than doubles and the needs rise sharply".
Within the rest of the areas, Mr. Georgiades stressed, "and in general in Cyprus the number of pharmacies in operation is very large in relation to the population and there is no need for different hours. In other words, this is an arrangement that purely aims to serve the tourist areas in which the needs are very different in the summer than in the winter and there is indeed a gap."
For this reason, Mr. Georgiadis said, "pharmacies that have expressed interest are also located in tourist areas."
It is recalled that the opening hours of private pharmacies in Cyprus have been a cause of disagreement in the past, even among pharmacists.
The pharmacy council, after studying the real data, proceeded to the decision for the operation of "seasonal pharmacies" in order to meet the increased needs only where it is needed without disturbing the service of citizens in urban centers. On the basis of this decision, the relevant decree was issued and entered into force by virtue of article 43A of the Pharmaceutical and Poisons Law by the Minister of Health.
