Sweden's drug market grew 5% in 1st-qtr 2008

Sweden's pharmaceutical sales, at pharmacy purchasing prices, have expanded by 5% in the first quarter of 2008 compared with the like period of 2007, from 6.99 billion Swedish kronor ($1.17 billion) to 7.34 billion kronor, according to IMS Health. The figure includes both human and animal drugs, with the latter accounting for 1.5% of the total. Among the factors affecting the data were the authorization of nicotine replacement product sales outside pharmacies as well as the fact that the first quarter had an extra day in the current year, compared to 2007.