Health Minister Michael Damianos on Friday visited the pharmaceutical services to mark #MedSafetyWeek, a campaign encouraging both patients and health professionals to report suspected side effects of medicines.
Reports can be submitted through the national yellow card system, established by the pharmaceutical services and available online, the minister said.
In a statement, the health ministry said the campaign aims to raise awareness of pharmacovigilance, the monitoring of medicine safety, and to strengthen public confidence in the country’s health system.
During his visit, Damianos was briefed on current projects and discussed key priorities with the department’s management.
The director of pharmaceutical services, Elena Panayiotopoulou, said Cyprus is preparing for an active role during its upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026.
The department will lead several working groups and technical committees in Brussels and organise major meetings in Cyprus, she said. The country is expected to head discussions on critical legislative packages related to pharmaceutical regulation.
Damianos described the pharmaceutical services as an essential arm of the health ministry. Their responsibilities include evaluating the quality, safety and effectiveness of medicines for human use, ensuring the safety of cosmetic products and conducting inspections across the pharmaceutical sector, including pharmacies, to ensure compliance with proper practices and legislation.
The minister added that the department has achieved high scores in international assessments, positioning Cyprus as a credible choice for the production and trade of pharmaceutical products. These achievements, he said, help establish Cyprus as an equal partner among larger EU member states on matters of pharmaceutical policy.
Panayiotopoulou also noted that officers from the pharmaceutical services actively participate in several European and international committees and working groups. These include the European medicines agency, the European commission, the Council of Europe, and the World Health Organisation.
