Quick answer: what you can buy over the counter in Cyprus
Paracetamol (Depon, Panadol) and ibuprofen (Brufen, Nurofen) are sold over the counter, from pharmacies only. Aspirin is the one common painkiller also sold in ordinary shops and kiosks. Codeine-containing painkillers are handled more strictly than plain paracetamol or ibuprofen. Products such as Solpadeine (8 mg codeine with paracetamol and caffeine) are on the Cyprus medicines register, but whether a given product can be sold without a prescription depends on its authorised supply category, which we have not confirmed. Ask a pharmacist before relying on it. Antifungal creams and the morning-after pill are usually sold without a prescription. Oral contraceptives and antibiotics, including antibiotic eye drops, usually need one. Benzodiazepines and strong opioids need a controlled-drug prescription. For omeprazole and salbutamol inhalers, ask the pharmacist. Confirm with the pharmacist before relying on any of this. The full brand-by-brand table is in the section on home-country medicines below. Pharmacists have final discretion and status can change, so confirm anything you depend on. For the wider system, see our healthcare in Cyprus guide, and browse specialist doctors or the dental care guide if a pharmacist refers you on.
How the pharmacy system works
Cyprus has a dense network of pharmacies (farmakeio in Greek) identified by the standard green cross sign. In Limassol, Paphos, and Larnaca, there is typically a pharmacy within a 5–10 minute walk in any suburban area. Unlike supermarket pharmacy counters in the UK or US, Cypriot pharmacies are standalone businesses staffed by qualified pharmacists, and they are genuinely consultative, so it is normal to describe symptoms and receive a recommendation without a GP visit for straightforward ailments. Hours vary by pharmacy. A duty (efimeria) rota operates in each district; the on-duty pharmacy is usually posted on the door of closed pharmacies. Ask a nearby pharmacy or check the district pharmacists' association.
Medicine prices in Cyprus: is there an official price list?
Yes. The Ministry of Health's Pharmaceutical Services publishes an official medicines price list. Its Pricing Sector prepares the list and publishes it in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Cyprus. Supplementary lists add newly priced products, and prices are also published on the Pharmaceutical Services website and in the EU price database EURIPID. The Pharmaceutical Services page is in Greek and showed the list updated on 21/10/2026 (checked 2 November 2026). We have not verified whether the listed price is a binding maximum price at the pharmacy counter; ask your pharmacist if a price looks different. Source: https://www.moh.gov.cy/moh/phs/phs.nsf/pricelist_el/pricelist_el (accessed 2026-11-02).
GeSY prescription coverage and co-payments
With a GeSY-registered personal doctor and a GeSY prescription, medications are dispensed at a co-payment of €1 per item for generic drugs. Branded medications that have a generic equivalent are dispensed at the generic price plus the difference if you specifically request the brand; ask the pharmacist whether a generic is available. Medications with no generic equivalent are covered at GeSY's reference price, which may be less than the pharmacist's retail price; the patient pays the gap. To use GeSY at a pharmacy, present your HIO card or beneficiary number; the pharmacist scans the prescription in the GeSY system directly. Pharmacies that accept GeSY display the GeSY logo. Not all private pharmacies in Cyprus are contracted with GeSY, though the majority in urban areas are. You need a beneficiary number first: see the GeSY registration guide.
Transferring a foreign prescription to Cyprus
Prescriptions from another EU member state should be recognised under Directive 2011/24/EU, but pharmacies may still ask for a Cyprus prescription for some medicines. Prescriptions from outside the EU (for example the UK, Israel or the US) are not dispensed; a Cyprus-registered doctor can issue a new one. The process in practice: bring your foreign prescription and, ideally, a recent medical letter from your doctor to a GeSY GP or private doctor in Cyprus, explain your treatment, and they will issue a Cypriot prescription. For routine chronic medications (blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid, antidepressants), most GPs will rewrite the prescription at the first visit without requiring extensive investigation, provided you have documentation of the diagnosis and current dosage. Allow at least one week between arrival and running out of a critical medication, since booking the GP appointment takes a few days, and some medications may need to be ordered if the pharmacy does not stock them.
Medications available OTC in Cyprus
What you can buy over the counter in Cyprus differs from other EU countries in both directions. Codeine-containing painkillers are handled more strictly than plain paracetamol or ibuprofen. Products such as Solpadeine (8 mg codeine with paracetamol and caffeine) and other paracetamol-codeine tablets are on the Cyprus medicines register, but whether a given product can be sold without a prescription depends on its authorised supply category, and we have not confirmed this. Ask a pharmacist before relying on it, and if you take co-codamol regularly, bring a doctor's letter or prescription and ask your doctor about a Cyprus prescription. Follow the leaflet: codeine is for short-term use only. Antifungal creams and the morning-after pill are usually sold without a prescription. Oral contraceptives and antibiotic eye drops usually need one. At the other end, benzodiazepines, strong opioids, and Schedule 1 controlled substances are tightly controlled and require a specific controlled-drug prescription form; the regulations here match or exceed EU norms. If you are accustomed to a medication being available OTC in your home country and it appears to be prescription-only in Cyprus, it is worth asking the pharmacist directly, as the answer may be different from what you expect.
Home-Country Medicines and Their Cyprus Equivalents
One of the first small frustrations of moving to Cyprus is standing in a pharmacy unable to find the brand you have used for years. The active ingredient is almost always here, just under a different name, and Cypriot pharmacies stock a lot of locally made generics from firms such as Medochemie and Remedica alongside the familiar international brands. Use the table below to translate what you know into what to ask for at the counter. Always learn the generic (active ingredient) name of anything you rely on, because that is what a Cyprus pharmacist will recognise instantly. Active ingredient | what you may know it as | Cyprus brand(s) to ask for | status: Paracetamol (acetaminophen) | Panadol, Tylenol | Depon, Panadol, Calpol (for children) | OTC Ibuprofen | Nurofen, Advil, Motrin | Brufen, Nurofen | OTC Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) | Aspirin, Aspro | Aspirin, Aspro Clear | OTC (the one painkiller also sold outside pharmacies, in kiosks and shops) Loratadine (antihistamine) | Claritin, Clarityn | Clarityne, Ticevis | OTC Cetirizine (antihistamine) | Zyrtec, Zirtec | Zyrtec, Temelin | OTC Loperamide (anti-diarrhoeal) | Imodium | Imodium, Vacontil, Loperium | OTC Diclofenac gel (topical anti-inflammatory) | Voltaren, Voltarol | Voltaren, Almiral gel | OTC Hydrocortisone cream 1% (mild steroid for bites and rashes) | Cortizone-10 | generic hydrocortisone 1% | OTC Antacids and reflux relief | Tums, Gaviscon | Gaviscon, Rennie | OTC Omeprazole (stomach-acid PPI) | Prilosec, Losec | Losec, Medoprazole | ask the pharmacist Decongestant | Sudafed, Afrin, Vicks Sinex | Otrivin and other xylometazoline nasal sprays | OTC (Cyprus favours nasal sprays; oral pseudoephedrine tablets are uncommon on the shelf) Salbutamol reliever inhaler | Ventolin, ProAir | Ventolin, Salamol | ask the pharmacist Low-dose codeine painkiller | co-codamol 8/500 | Solpadeine | availability without prescription not confirmed; ask the pharmacist A few of these may surprise people coming from the UK or US: the status of items such as omeprazole or a salbutamol inhaler may differ from your home country. Remember too that brand availability and prescription status change over time, and that a pharmacist always has final discretion. So treat this as a starting point rather than a guarantee: for anything you depend on, confirm its status before you travel, and once you arrive simply ask any Cyprus pharmacist, who can almost always suggest a local equivalent. Pharmacists here are exceptionally accessible, used to advising walk-in customers on minor ailments, and in the towns and tourist areas the vast majority speak fluent English.
Bringing personal medication supply into Cyprus
Carry medicines in original packaging with a letter from your doctor. For controlled substances (opioids, benzodiazepines, ADHD stimulants) check the rules with the Pharmaceutical Services (moh.gov.cy/phs) before travelling. For ADHD medications (methylphenidate, amphetamines), Cypriot prescribing practices are more restrictive than in the US or UK: local psychiatrists do prescribe these, but the process takes longer, typically involving a fresh assessment rather than simply continuing a prior prescription. If this affects you, arrange a psychiatrist appointment as early as possible after arrival.