Cyprus Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou has issued a decree prohibiting the export of any drugs for human use unless his written permission is granted.

The decree which was published on Friday in the Cyprus Government Gazette comes to effect immediately.

It is explained that the decree is issued because public health and the health care system constitute the responsibility of the Republic and that the aim is to contain the outbreak of the coronavirus COVID-19, to protect public health and to prevent the possibility of the health system collapsing by the virus spreading, taking into account the demands in human resources and logistical infrastructure which would be necessary if it were to rapidly spread and because it has become imperative to take further measures in addition to the ones already taken.

The decree, it is added, is issued because of the necessity to guarantee and to maintain a sufficient stock of pharmaceutical products in the Republic to meet the needs of the population and to avoid having shortages locally.

“No export of pharmaceutical products from the Republic to any other country, including EU members states, will take place from now on, unless permission has been given in writing by the Minister of Health,” the decree reads.

The Customs & Excise Department Director will be sending all necessary documents concerning the export of pharmaceutical products to a Health Ministry officer, to be determined by the Health Minister to review them and approve or reject them, the decree provides.

It is further clarified that the term “pharmaceutical products”  is given the definition contained in the Drugs for Human Consumption Act (Quality, Supply and Prices Control) of 2001.

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