A new way to dispence Cyprus NHS prescriptions.

[trevnhil]

It seems like changes are coming in the way prescriptions will be filled / sold, and the cost is to change as well.

http://in-cyprus.com/how-medications-wi ... e-new-nhs/

[trevnhil]

I hope that they don't do away with the government Pharmacist that goes around with the village doctor.

[josef k]

I think the state pharmacists will stay in the hospitals after this change. They will be needed to dispense medicines for those staying in the hospital, and will probably be able to serve the public as well. I suspect this change just allows people to choose where to get their meds from (including hospital pharmacies).

[trevnhil]

But the article says that get their medicines from a Hospital Pharmacy...
" The first and main change is that we will get all our medicines from private chemists and not from the hospital pharmacy"

This seems crazy to me as most NHS patients are already at the hospital to see a GP or a consultant .

[Robert]

Overall Trev, and I am not entitled to state health care, so perhaps I see it differently I think these changes will be good for communities.....let's face it how many chemists are out there....it gives you so much more choice. I would imagine the "rural" practices will remain, and if there is not a Pharmacy in the village then yes I would think a Pharmacist will be in attendance....I can't really see the Trade Unions allowing all the state employed Pharmicists being made redundant..can you?

Like your good self we also won't be entitled state health care and also see it as a good thing for a few reasons. As I understand it by the time the whole Cyprus NHS roles out:
- we'll be able to pay annual contributions calculated from earnings and get access to the public health system (inpatient and outpatient) even if we're not working. This is great as private health insurance won't cover pre-existing conditions plus as we age the premiums could become unaffordable or even not possible because of age limits/conditions. Just to reinforce I'm happy to pay for access and am looking for nothing for free.
- which brings me to my second point. Depending on how Brexit plays out we may not be entitled to an S1 in our dotage. If the Cyprus NHS does not make it at a certain age we currently may run out of private health insurance and be unable to enter the public system. We'd be forced to go elsewhere in the world. Not something we want I must say.

What they are proposing is great for my family and long over due if they want to encourage people to come and spend into the Cyprus economy. I say bring it on faster...

[Aargent]

I have a bit of a worry here. Chronic patients every six months, I presume that is BP tablets etc, I get them and one for Gout. If I and hundreds like me only go to Polis Hospital twice a year instead of six times, and there is no Pharmacist it sounds to me like a reason to close it, underused, which has been mooted before.

[PeteandSylvi]

One possible effect might be to induce pharmacists to open in more rural areas if the catchment is big enough. As there is no pharmacy between Mesogi and Polis I would have thought one in Stroumbi or Polemi might find enough demand.

Pete

[trevnhil]

I would have thought so too Pete..

[jeba]

- we'll be able to pay annual contributions calculated from earnings and get access to the public health system (inpatient and outpatient) even if we're not working.

As far as I remember there is an EU regulation according to which anybody who had public health cover anywhere in the EU for at least 1 year within a period of 5 years preceding the move to any EU country under the freedom of movement rules has a right to be covered by the public health system anyway. So for most EU citizens there was no reason to be worried in the first place (provided they got their yellow slip as they´re supposed to).

[jeba]

I am not sure where you get this information Jeba, but as a "early retiree" before my UK state retirement age, I am currently not entitled to reciprocal state care in Cyprus, although of course I worked and paid my National Insurance to the UK for 40 years, and yes I have my yellow slip and I pay for private medical insurance.

I had assumed that the rules which stipulate the conditions under which you´re entitled to get public health insurance in Germany were not specific for Germany but were based on EU-regulations and therefore applicable throughout the EU. I couldn´t find a definite answer to whether this is in fact the case though. However, according to the German version of this: http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/he ... dex_en.htm (EU) retirees should be entitled to enrolment in the public healthcare system of their new (EU) country of residence. The German text is speaking of "Ruheständler" (which - unlike the term "Rentner" simply means someone who has retired with or without getting a pension and regardless of age) whereas the English version is speaking of pensioners (which seems to imply that you receive a pension). Sounds like an inconsistency to me.

Edit: I just found this: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?cat ... ageId=5001

What conditions do I need to meet?

Healthcare benefits are given to:

individuals with an annual income which does not exceed EUR 15 400, as well as families with an annual income which does not exceed EUR 30 750, increased by EUR 1 700 for each dependent child, provided that they have at least 3 years of contributions to social insurance schemes (including assimilated insurance periods), to people suffering from certain chronic conditions (diseases), as well as to certain categories of people.
All other people may make use of government medical services by paying the tariff which is set periodically. The cost of expensive hospital treatment may be reduced taking into account the patient's level of income.