Pharmacies

· provide evidence proving that he/she has sufficient knowledge of the Greek language, and,
· provide evidence that he/she has acquired such a professional practice in pharmacy that the Pharmacy Board would deem sufficient. The professional practice may have been acquired either in the Republic or in a Member State for a period of at least 6 months.

Pursuant to Articles 4(3)(b) and 9B of the Pharmacy and Poisons Law (Cap. 254), if a person wishes to operate a Pharmacy or any other activity related to the supply of medicines to the public in Cyprus, the Pharmacy Board may require additional practical training in Cyprus. The duration of the additional practical training in Cyprus will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Board.

Description

Pursuant to Articles 4 and 4A of the Pharmacy and Poisons Law (Cap. 254), no person other than a person duly registered as a pharmacist shall operate, either for himself or on behalf of another, a pharmacy or perform the duties of a hospital pharmacist unless the pharmacies are registered in accordance with Article 15 or hospital pharmacies in accordance with Article 16A of this law.

No person may be the owner of more than one pharmacy or be the holder or beneficiary of more than 51% of the share capital of more than one company operating a pharmacy business. PEO, SEK and DEOK are excluded from the above provision provided that they operate as non-profit organisations.

Eligibility Criteria

Every natural or legal person is eligible to register the pharmacy, provided that the Pharmacy Board is satisfied that the following criteria are met:

· the applicant is a registered pharmacist in the Republic of Cyprus (in case of natural person) or;
· the company is under the management and control of a registered pharmacist in the Republic of Cyprus who owns at least 51% of the company’s shares (in the case of a legal entity);
· the provisions of the Standards, Establishment and Operation Pharmacy Open to the Public Regulations of 2000 and 2019.

Application submission

Regarding the operation of hospital pharmacies, the procedure will be determined by Regulations issued under Article 42 (1) (m).

The completed original application form, together with the necessary documentation, for the operation of a new pharmacy by a pharmacist (in case of a natural person) or by a company (in case of a legal entity) must be submitted (for a natural person or for a legal entity) directly to the Competent Authority through the Registrar of the Pharmacy Board.

By Mail:
Pharmaceutical Services
1475 Nicosia

By Courier:
Pharmaceutical Services
Propylaion 6
2033 Nicosia

Application Procedure

Registration is valid indefinitely and does not need to be renewed unless changes are made to the ownership status.

Three on-site inspections are carried out in order to ensure the appropriateness of the pharmacy and the relevant equipment for the correct functioning of the pharmacy.

The registration is valid indefinitely and does not need to be renewed unless changes in the ownership have been made.

Supervision of registered pharmacies

Authorized inspectors from the Minister of Health inspect the existing private and hospital pharmacies in Cyprus in order to ensure that the registered pharmacists comply with the provisions of the following laws, as well as the relevant secondary legislation issued on the basis of them, which concern the practicing of the pharmacy profession:

(a) The Pharmacy and Poisons Law (Cap. 254);

(b) The Medicinal Products for Human Use (Quality, Supply and Price Control) Law;

(c) The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law,

(d) The Pharmacists (Associations, Discipline and Pensions Fund) Law.