The government has decided to broaden an investigation into the international pharmaceutical market following reports of shortages in estrogen medications.
More women are being treated for menopausal symptoms but access to estrogen medications is sometimes lacking. The Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency will examine on government assignment how Sweden's willingness to pay affects patients' access to new treatments.
Social Minister Jakob Forssmed writes in an opinion piece that the government is analyzing how changes in the surrounding world affect access to medicines in Sweden. Swedish prices on new medicines are 18 percent below the European average.
The organization LIF welcomes the decision. Its CEO Sofia Wallström says that cost-effectiveness is important but that low prices can never be a goal in itself.
