Calls for greater budget rises for new medicines in Iceland

Iceland’s budget for licensed medicines should takes into account the rapid development of new medicines, the increasing number of people with serious diseases and their access to the best possible treatment.

So says a statement from Landspítali, the country’s leading hospital. The comment was issued as the 2026 budget bill is being discussed in the Althingi Budget Committee.

Landspítali says that there is not enough growth expected, neither in the current 2025 budget nor in the 2026 budget bill, to meet the increased costs of new and costly licensed medicines and the rise in the number of patients diagnosed with malignant diseases.