Almost 1.3 million Norwegians received at least one pain medication on prescription last year. The number has increased by over 154,000 in ten years.
This was shown in figures from the Norwegian Prescription Database’s statistics for the delivery of prescription drugs.
Last year, more than one in four women and every fourth man were prescribed at least one such drug.
‘’The increase is primarily paracetamol’’ said senior adviser, Christian Berg. In 2018, 28% of all women were prescribed at least one analgesic and 20% of all men” it said.
Paracetamol is sold both with and without prescription. Non-prescription packages last year accounted for one third of sales measured in number of doses.
The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has decreased. This is in line with recommendations due to side effects. The most commonly used drugs in this group are Voltaren, Ibux, and Vimovo.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
