Paphos Life

Hello Mike, as far as I am aware Diabetic Meters have never been available at the General, when I asked they sent off to a small office opposite the Old Police station in Pafos town, that meter did not last very long as it was a cheap Chinese make, I buy mine now from Amazon both meters and test strips, not expensive I find and reliable more to the point.I have been illo the last week or so a UTI infection that has kept me up most nights also Renal stones, never much fun, tried the GESY doctor we use at the Anvelagomos only to be told make a reservation for next week, so I will pay to see a private GP, so more cash from my huge pile.

Good health, you need it living here.

Around 8 months ago my wife was given a prescription by the Fiti Village doctor for a new Diabetic meter.
The Fiti pharmacist didn't have them so my wife got her prescribed one from the General Hospital complete with glucose strips..

That's good Trev it has changed, but I will continue with buying mine off the internet, by the way that meter was not free at the General, I had to pay at that time.

JimX wrote: ↑Thu Jun 13, 2019 7:40 am ... also Renal stones ...

Jim, if your kidney stones are small enough, you may be able to shrink them sufficiently to pass them out of your system by drinking a cup of hot water every morning with a teaspoon of lemonjuice, a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar stirred in, and either honey or sweetener to taste. It is not an instant cure, but the two acids seem to gradually disintegrate the stones. As you get accustomed to drinking this concoction, you can increase the quantities but do not exceed 2 tablespoons (!) of ACV as this is apparently the point at which it stops being beneficial and starts doing harm.

I have only 1.5 weeks of Losartan [BP medication] left, and my Pharmacist informed there isn't any on the island & doesn't know when stock will arrive. Whilst I have sufficient insulin, she did say that some insulins are currently unavailable! There'd better be some hospital beds available if they don't sort out this diabolical mess soon.

I wonder if this has been caused by Brexit? The UK has been stockpiling medicines since early this year.

I don't understand this situation, there are no more people than before needing medication, it's just that people are using private pharmacies rather than hospital pharmacies. There must some way of transferring medicines from one to the other.

Kay morning, thank you for that info on Renal Stones, I passed one the size of an average thumb nail some time back, you may have heard me screaming!! I looked on UTube to get more information on these stones mostly made up of Calcium, I cut a lemon in half and left the stone in neat lemon juice for a week, it never changes in size or make up, not sure of the lemon cure myself, if they stop you peeing then this is when you have a real problem, off to the hospital and the man with that Laser gun!

Mike I totally agree with you, GESY is not as yet in full operation, this situation could be dire for some.

mike strand2 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 14, 2019 11:01 pm I have only 1.5 weeks of Losartan [BP medication] left, and my Pharmacist informed there isn't any on the island & doesn't know when stock will arrive. Whilst I have sufficient insulin, she did say that some insulins are currently unavailable! There'd better be some hospital beds available if they don't sort out this diabolical mess soon.
I wonder if this has been caused by Brexit? The UK has been stockpiling medicines since early this year.

I don't believe that there are none on the island. Notwithstanding this, I can lend you a couple of boxes in the short term if push comes to shove. Let me know how things go.

Thanks Varky, I may have to take up your kind offer. However:-

I've just ordered 6 mo supply of 100mg Losarton BP tabs from ZAVA on-line, £27. They'll deliver to my daughter in UK free delivery & she'll post them to me. I cannot be left with a possibility of running out in 1 1/2 weeks!

I've also emailed the British High Commission in Nicosia suggesting the UK could in the short term, release to Cyprus, some of the huge medicine 'Brexit stockpile'

Mike,
This morning I went into our regular pharmacy on Butcher Boy road just up from the Citizen's Advice Bureau, on the same side, if you are starting from the Papantoniou traffic lights. I asked about the status of Losartan 50mg. She said that she had 3 boxes in store and checked on-line and they had 300 boxes at the warehouse. Someone is telling you porkies

And this is one of the BIG problems.. Some Pharmacies seem to be telling lies, either purposefully or because of lack of knowledge ..

hi all,for the test strips,if you have a medical card book in at the reception at the general hospital telling them what you need.i took a box of strips with me to show.i paid 3 euro for my strip of stickers and went to the 2 floor admin dept.the lady i was booked with made out a prescription in my hospital prescription book for the strips.into the hospital pharmacy and was given a months supply of strips(do not forget the 50 cent sticker)all in all no problem. r.e.morris

I found out yesterday a slight financial down side to the supply of medication via a consultant..
I used to get two x 3 months prescription for tablets.. So the cost was two x €6 for seeing the consultant... And two times 50 cents for the total of 6 months medication.. So a Total of €13..

But yesterday i saw a consultant and got a Gesy prescription for 6 months tablets..
I had to pay €6 to see the consultant.. But this morning I had to pay €2-66 for one months supply of tablets So over 6 months this will total up to €15-96 for tablets plus the €6 giving a Total of €21-96.
Almost double but not a fantastic amount over 6 months

Re my 100mg Losartan, I'm still waiting for my on-line order to arrive. On Weds I went back to see my PD & asked him to let me have a scrip for 50mg Losartan that the Evangelismos Pharmacy had assured me were available. So I now have a months supply of 50mg and a scrip for a further month.

PD not at all happy about all the time wasting that GESY has caused by listing meds on his computer that when his scrip cannot be fulfilled. I guess over time this sort of thin will be sorted.

Pharmacist said they had no training for GESY!!

Was able to get all ten of my items on the Gesy prescription including losartan 50 mg plus 2 other items that I have been paying 106 euros for at a total of 12. 60 a month . On the old system I had to pay 4.5euros at general plus 318 euros for medication for the 3 month period.
Lefkes.

JimX wrote: ↑Sat Jun 15, 2019 6:52 am ... I cut a lemon in half and left the stone in neat lemon juice for a week, it never changes in size or make up, not sure of the lemon cure myself, ...

Jim, it is not just the lemon juice on its own, apparently it is the combination of lemon juice plus apple cider vinegar, over a period of time, that changes the ph in your body to make it less stone-friendly.

You are correct, once the stone blocks the urinary tract, you are in big trouble and considerable pain. I understand that once you have had a kidney stone, you are likely to make more. The lemon juice/ACV combination taken daily may just help prevent this occurring again.

hi all,to get blood sugar test strips,go to the general hospital with your old prescription book.let the reception know what you want(i took a box of strips with me to show them).paid my 3 euro for my strip of stickers and went to the admin dept on the 2 floor.the lady i was booked to see made out a prescription in my book.went to the hospital pharmacy and got a months supply of strips.all in all no problem. r.e.morris

blood monitor machines were available free last year at the hospital when the new models came out.i would have thought they are still free.try booking in at reception telling them what it is you require.they will charge you for the strip of stickers and send you to the 2 floor,admin dept.there they will make out a prescription for the pharmacy.