Press release
12 December 2008
Ministry of Health and Social Affairs
Proposal to the Council on Legislation on reform of the pharmacy market
The Government has referred a proposal on reform of the pharmacy market to the Council on Legislation, on 9 December 2008. The aim of the reform is to create the conditions for more pharmacies with longer opening hours. The proposal entails the liberalisation of the regulations on operating a pharmacy in Sweden. More actors will thereby be given the chance to contribute to the safe, accessible and customer-oriented supply of medicinal products.
Sweden is far behind most European countries when it comes to access to medicinal products, and is one of the few countries in the world that still has a monopoly on the pharmacy market. Experience from other countries demonstrates that there is major potential to improve accessibility.
- Norway previously had similar pharmacy coverage to Sweden. The number of pharmacies there has increased by over 60 per cent since they reformed their pharmacy market in 2001. At the same time, opening hours in Norwegian pharmacies have improved considerably, meaning that queues have practically disappeared, says Minister for Health and Social Affairs Göran Hägglund.
The proposal presented by the Government today involves a liberalisation of the rules on owning and operating a pharmacy. However, it is important to stress that the pharmacy sector will continue to be subject to strict regulation.
- Safe handling of medicinal products is literally a matter of life and death. We will therefore set very high requirements for those who want to operate pharmacies in Sweden. For example, all pharmacies will of course have to have a licence from the Medical Products Agency and all staff will have to be adequately trained. All pharmacies will also have to provide manufacturer-independent information to their customers, says Mr Hägglund.
One important issue is the scope that actors on the new pharmacy market will have to negotiate on purchase prices for medicinal products. One key point has been to find a model that maintains price pressure but also provides the conditions for more actors to establish themselves on the market. The model proposed by the Government means that:
- The freedom to set prices for over-the-counter medicinal products is maintained.
- Price competition on generic medicinal products (copies of original products) in the national marketplace is maintained.
- Actors are given the chance to negotiate on the price of original medicinal products.
Apoteket AB will remain as a key actor on a competitive market. The majority of the pharmacies currently owned by Apoteket AB will remain under state ownership. The remaining premises will be sold to other actors. The transfer of pharmacies to new actors will be undertaken so as to ensure that access to medicinal products is at least as good as it is today.
Of the pharmacies that remain under state ownership, a number will be transferred to a newly formed company that will have the option of going into partnership with individual entrepreneurs. Under the Government's proposal, a maximum of 200 pharmacies can belong to the new company. The intention is to utilise the entrepreneurship of small operators and create an opportunity for small-scale enterprise within the framework of a functioning support structure. The aim is that the partners will eventually be able to buy out their pharmacies.
