Cyprus’s national health system GeSY (General Healthcare System) marked its seventh anniversary in September 2026, with the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) reporting 1,036,681 registered beneficiaries — effectively the entire population of Cyprus.1
High-cost medicines not included in the GeSY reimbursement list are accessed through the Named Patient Requests Committee (EOA — Epitropi Onomastikon Aitimaton), which considers individual clinical applications on a case-by-case basis. According to the EFPIA WAIT Indicator Report published in May 2026 (the most recent available), Cyprus ranked 21st out of 36 European countries for medicine availability, with 66 out of 168 assessed medicines reimbursed.2 The average time from European Medicines Agency (EMA) approval to patient access in Cyprus was 528 days — among the longer waits in the EU. Approximately 90% of new high-cost drugs in Cyprus reach patients via the EOA named patient route rather than through formal reimbursement.
The Cyprus Organisation for Standardisation of Medicines Quality (OSAK) raised concerns during September 2026 regarding patient co-payment increases resulting from medicines being reclassified following patent expiry. When a branded medicine loses patent protection, GeSY adjusts the reference price to the generic equivalent, and patients who continue to receive the originator brand face higher co-payments. OSAK has called for a transitional policy to manage the impact on patients already established on treatment.3
References
1. GeSY seventh anniversary — HIO beneficiary statistics. Health Insurance Organisation (HIO), Cyprus. September 2026. https://www.hio.org.cy/en/news/2026/gesy-seventh-anniversary
2. EFPIA WAIT Indicator 2026: Patient W.A.I.T. Indicator — European data. EFPIA. May 2026. https://www.efpia.eu/media/patients-wait-indicator-2026
3. OSAK statement on GeSY co-payment increases following patent expiry reclassifications. OSAK (Cyprus Organisation for Standardisation of Medicines Quality). September 2026. https://www.osak.org.cy/en/announcements/2026/co-payment-reclassification
