Three medicines available through Cyprus’s General Health System (GHS) are currently in short supply, affecting patients with chronic conditions including thyroid disorders, psychiatric illnesses and certain cancers, with suppliers unable to deliver the required quantities within agreed timeframes.
The most serious shortage involves Carbimazole 5mg, used to treat hyperthyroidism and Graves disease. Doctors have been notified that the medicine is not expected to be back in supply until January 1, 2027.
The State Health Services Organisation (SHSO) has moved to source alternative preparations on an emergency basis, and other options are available to cover essential needs. Doctors are being asked to issue new prescriptions to ensure patients are not left without treatment.
A shortage has also been recorded for Seroquel XR 50mg, used primarily in patients with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression. The SHSO has notified doctors that the medicine is expected to be back in supply on June 10, 2026, though no alternative stocks have so far been secured from other sources.
The third shortage affects Epirubicin, an injectable medicine used primarily in oncology, including breast cancer treatment. The SHSO said the shortage is temporary and resulted from the supplier failing to provide timely notification.
Procedures to secure quantities from Greece are already under way, with some stock possibly arriving as early as today, according to information available to Philenews.
Drug shortages occur fairly frequently, but when companies follow the required procedures and notify the SHSO and the Ministry of Health before stocks are fully exhausted, the two bodies can move to secure supplies from alternative sources.
Urgent procedures have been initiated for all three medicines, and doctors will be informed of availability as soon as this becomes possible.
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