Swedish Drug Market In 1996, And Early '97

Pharmaceutical sales in Sweden grew 17.9% in 1996 at pharmacy purchaseprices, to reach a total of 15.79 billion Swedish kroner ($2.05 billion), the Swedish drug industry association, RUFI, has reported.

The association notes that this very high increase should be seen in connection with Sweden's drug reimbursement system reform which took effect on January 1, 1997. Prior to this, patients began hoarding prescription drugs, as the reform abolished the list of treatments for chronic diseases which were provided to patients free of charge.

As a result, says RUFI, drug sales in the first four months of 1997 fell about 6% compared with the like, year-earlier period, to 4.45 million kroner ($576.7 million). Both pharmacy purchase prices and pharmacy sales prices of drugs increased by an average of 1.3% during 1996.