Paphos People

There has been re-categorisation of medicines affecting charges for prescription items;

https://cyprus-mail.com/2020/02/18/prescription-charges-increase-as-gesy-reviews-drug-categories/

Increasing charges based upon 're-assessment' of categories is a familiar ploy experienced by residents of Cyprus, the electrical company EAC are possibly the most adept at employing this particular tactic!

Those responsible for management of Gesy obviously posses similar DNA, since the recent revisions have been largely 'shrouded in mystery' for patients.

Gone are the days that items on a prescription were charged at 50 cents each which most understood, now you seem only to be able to find out the new cost when you go to a pharmacy to collect your prescription.

This begs the question; are we sure the pharmacies are all charging the same amount for the respective drugs?

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As patients can choose which pharmacy they want to change the prescription and because the doctors are using the same GESY database there should be no variance in price for any particular item.

When GESY was introduced I would say that 95-98 per cent of people thought the medications would have a uniform charge of €1 per item. There is at least one item in the GESY list that costs €1 but sometimes the doctor finds it is not suitable for that patient for various reasons eg a similar item offers better a better outcome or possible side effects with other drugs the patient is taking.

When you take the prescription to the pharmacy ask the price and then ask if there is something cheaper that has the same effect as the prescribed drug. However, do bear in mind that only your doctor is aware of your medical history, so cheaper is not necessarily better.

Not had many prescribed items but all far cheaper than when they were only available privately.

I need daily Clexane injections, without Gesy that's nearly 370 Euros a month, with it's about 43 - no contest!!

The pharmacists cannot change the costs of prescription drugs as they are all connected to the GESY main board...and even before GESY pharmacies where governed on prices by a central drugs board connected to their computers/tills
We over the years have been given cheaper prices on some drugs as prices reduced

One of my husbands medicines before GESY was 75 euros each ...now with GESY 9 Euro,s

And also now a lot of drugs prescribed by GESY are free with no charges at all

So no complaints from me

Hi Migmogs,

It seems not all pharmacists are behaving, as expected;

"Patients have told the Pancyprian Federation of Patients’ Associations (Osak) that some pharmacists sell beneficiaries expensive alternative drugs when those prescribed to them are not in stock, Phileleftheros reports.
Osak’s president Marios Kouloumas said that patients subsequently research other pharmacies only to find that there is no market shortage of their requested medication.
“When a pharmacy has run out of a particular drug, the pharmacist is obliged to recommend the cheapest available alternative, and should also inform the patient that their drug may be available at other pharmacies.
The president of the Cyprus Pharmaceutical Association Eleni Piera-Isseyegh dismissed complaints stating: “I don’t see a motive that would justify such actions by pharmacists, as remuneration is the same regardless of the brand or price of the drug we recommend.
“However, we are willing to investigate well-founded complaints against pharmacists presented before us,” she concluded.

Meanwhile, Osak has also received patient complaints regarding the raise in beneficiaries’ contribution for certain more expensive drugs, which has reportedly come about due to the addition to Gesy of cheaper alternatives for each category and certain changes effected in drug categorisation."

As suspected, re-catergorisation is resulting in raised contributions!

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On one FB group a few people have said they are being charged a €1.19 dispensing fee when they take the prescription from their Personal Doctor to the pharmacy. Not happened to me and I use different pharmacies depending on where I happen to be doing my shopping.

I get 2 prescriptions from my personal doctor. One is covered by GESY so it costs just E1 per pack, the other is not on the GESY list (and no other alternative) so that's on a private prescription which I have to pay for in full and the pharmacist adds that E1.19 fee to the cost (and has always done so), but not to the GESY prescription.

Thanks Old Twister - that clarifies the situation. No point being prescribed a drug on GESY if there is one that has a better effect privately - so long it is cost-effective.

Anticipate more people will be charged the €1.19 fee due to recent changes in GESY medications list as they continue to tweak the items according to price and supply.