Norwegians spent average of NOK 5,000 on medicines last year

Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB scanpix

Norwegians spent an average of NOK 4,690 on prescription drugs last year.In addition,NOK 530 on non-prescription drugs purchased at pharmacies.

In total, drugs were purchased for NOK 27.7 billion in 2018 from the country’s pharmacies,if one does not include veterinary medicines.

This is an increase of 3.7% from the previous year, wrote the Pharmacy Association in a press release.

Of the money we spent on prescription drugs,the public paid over 80%.

Six of the ten most commonly used drugs in this country are used for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.The other four medicines relate to allergies, cavaties,pain, and sleep problems.

Prescription drugs were traded for NOK 25.3 billion last year, which is an increase of 3.8% from the previous year.

In 2018, the increase in drug sales was approximately on a par with the general price trend. This is a sign that the authorities in total have control over the expenditure in this area in the health service said Oddbjørn Tysnes,director of business policy at the Pharmacy Association in the same press release.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today