Getting your meds via GESY

[JimX]

My first experience yesterday, at the Avangelismos hospital I duly made an appointment to see a GESY GP, all went well it seems my registration was accepted, only waited about an hour, a lot faster than the General, got my six months list for my medications prescriptions, you will pay more now for your prescription drugs but see the GP is free. Now to the problems, my Pharmacist who is lovely and very helpful could only give me half of my monthly needs that is types of drugs, all the rest were out of stock and could only offer me paid in full alternatives, if this new health system is to work then surely it should be well stocked with the most needed items, I realise the system is still in flux but the cost for items she did not have is expensive for some of us.

There is hope that this new system will work, but not as yet it seems.

[PW in Polemi]

Sounds like there are still many teething problems to be sorted out, Jim.
Hopefully, by the time I need to use the system, you will have ironed out those problems for me.

[galexinda]

Slightly off topic in that my Anapen/Epipen is not available via GESY, but due to my recent stay in hospital had a review and discovered it had expired some time ago and even though it might still work it would not be as effective - for use in cases of acute allergic reactions. Went to two pharmacists who both advised me that not only were their suppliers in Cyprus out of stock but there had been none available in Europe for about three months and the manufacturers were unable to provide them with a delivery date. I do remember once being given an insulin needle and a vial of adrenaline at Paphos General (2007) and being told to make sure that only a very small specific amount (e.g 0.5mg) was injected because if the whole vial was used that would definitely kill me!

So back on topic again, it may be that some medicines are not available further up the supply chain, not just Cyprus that is having the problem.

[mike strand2]

GESY have acknoledged the difficulty some patients have had with acquiring their medications, not that that helps us!

The CM 2 days ago had this https://cyprus-mail.com/2019/07/04/over ... h-of-gesy/

[trevnhil]

Some of the things mentioned in the article are puzzling.. In particular the shortage of drugs..
In general now there are no more patients taking drugs now than there were two months ago...
It is true that some patients are now going to private Gesy pharmacies rather then Hospital ones...
But on the old system you would go to the hospital pharmacy and receive medicine / tablets for Two months, or Three months.
Now on the new system you can only have ONE months supply at a time... I would have thought this would have meant that there were plenty of medicines to go around.. But it is true, there are shortages..

[WHL]

Some of the things mentioned in the article are puzzling.. In particular the shortage of drugs..
In general now there are no more patients taking drugs now than there were two months ago...
It is true that some patients are now going to private Gesy pharmacies rather then Hospital ones...
But on the old system you would go to the hospital pharmacy and receive medicine / tablets for Two months, or Three months.
Now on the new system you can only have ONE months supply at a time... I would have thought this would have meant that there were plenty of medicines to go around.. But it is true, there are shortages..

I think there's been a rush by a lot more people then usual to try the system out, hence the med shortage, im thinking it will get back to normal before long.

[JimX]

WHL '' I think there's been a rush by a lot more people than usual to try the system out, hence the med shortage, i'm thinking it will get back to normal before long.''

What is normal please?, it (Gesy) has not been going long enough to be normal, so many patients will be without there normal prescription drugs even if you could buy them, the situation is very dangerous for many. I do not think people are just trying this new system out, it is a matter that they do need their medications and a reliable source.

[Varky]

I notice that the CM report refers to unnecessary visits by patients. I wonder if those patients realise that there are caps on free visits to GPs depending on the individuals' situations and that after the cap is breached there will be a charge.

[trevnhil]

I just wonder how people know it is an unnecessary visit.. Both my wife and I have seen our GP since the start of Gesy... I needed a repeat prescription, and my wife visited her INSTEAD of using the village doctor.. I think the cap on free visits for pensioners is 10 in a year.. i hope I don't get anywhere near that amount..
One thing I am going to have to get to grips with is the date/s to return to the Pharmacist for the second months prescription and following months.. Apparently there is a window of opportunity just 7 days before, and 7 days after the monthly date following your original prescription date...
I am going to have to put them on a calendar as I have three prescriptions on differing dates..

[mike strand2]

One thing I am going to have to get to grips with is the date/s to return to the Pharmacist for the second months prescription and following months.. Apparently there is a window of opportunity just 7 days before, and 7 days after the monthly date following your original prescription date...

One has to ask the obvious question, WHY?

[trevnhil]

Because I have to remember now to collect my three prescriptions on a different day of each of the next 5 months... I have just entered the dates on my Calendar on the laptop. You have only seven days either side of the date your prescription was made out.. If you go on the eighth day I assume you cannot have your tablets and have to wait another three weeks..

[galexinda]

I notice that the CM report refers to unnecessary visits by patients. I wonder if those patients realise that there are caps on free visits to GPs depending on the individuals' situations and that after the cap is breached there will be a charge.

In order to deter overvisitation to PDs for adults and PDs for chldren, the HIO has imposed some limitations to the number of visits per year, as shown in the table below. When the number is exceeded the beneficiary must pay the PD a copayment of EUR 15 per visit.

Free visits for children/per age group/year
Age range visits
0 – 1 10
1 – 3 8
3 - 5 7
6 - 10 4
11-18 3

Free visits for adults/per age group/year
Age range visits
16 – 18 3
18 – 40 4
41 – 50 6
51 – 65 8
>65 10

[WHL]

I spoke to two seperate couples, who told me the same thing whilst regesting for Gesy they both visited their new Dr and got blood tests etc etc done while they were there, they both told me usually theyv wouldn't of gone to see the Dr unless they weren't well. That's what I mean when I said there has been rush, and it will settle down in time.

[trevnhil]

It is when you have three or four prescriptions on different dates that you have to keep a check on the dates when you can collect your next month's supply

[daveg]

Finally registered this week, went to doc for prescription, came away with 6 months worth.....

[trevnhil]

Well done Dave... I hope your Pharmacist had all you needed