The Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) on Thursday urged pharmacies to carry out their duties properly, following the discovery of new irregularities in the filling of prescriptions.

This reminder comes after several pharmacists were scrutinised over billing issues last May. As the executive authority of the General Healthcare System (GHS), the HIO is responsible for overseeing its administration.

In response, the Cyprus Pharmaceutical Association (CPA) said that those that believe “that we are violating the law or using incorrect practices in the administration of medicines, they should present evidence to the association rather than making baseless accusations.”

The latest reminder follows an investigation last year into similar irregularities, which uncovered issues in 100 prescriptions across 80 pharmacies. HIO Director Constantinos Panayidis said that past investigations had revealed prescriptions issued after patients had died, as well as medications collected by staff or family members from nursing homes.

The HIO says the quantities, types and whereabouts of the drugs in question remained unclear. Panayidis said that family members weren’t allowed to collect medicines but stressed that “we understand that the pharmacists often try to meet patients’ needs.” As a result, no penalties were imposed on the pharmacies.

“Dispensing medication without a prescription or to family members is not allowed unless it is an emergency. In such cases, it should be discussed between the doctor and the pharmacist,” Panayidis explained.

“We believe the pharmacies understood the issue and acted with good intentions to serve their patients, which is understandable, but the law is the law”, he concluded.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, CPA Chairman Ploutarchos Georgiades expressed frustration over the HIO’s renewed focus on the issue.

He explained that last year’s investigation primarily examined antibiotics distributed during the pandemic. “Doctors would instruct us to give the patient the medication and assure us they would enter the prescription later in the day. We followed their instructions but sometimes didn’t receive the prescription until the next day,” he said.

Georgiades emphasised that pharmacies have no way of knowing if a patient has died. “If the system allows a transaction to go through, that’s an issue with the GHS, not with us,” he said.

He further dismissed any claims of financial benefit for pharmacies. “For each box of medication, we receive just €1.50 from the GHS. If a medication costs €9, the GHS covers the cost and adds a €0.50 service fee, while the patient pays another €1 – nobody could possibly profit from this”, he elaborated.

Georgiades echoed the broader stance of pharmacists, emphasizing that they remain on the front lines, collaborating with all agencies to ensure the best service for GHS beneficiaries. He called for accusations to be made responsibly and based on solid evidence.