Sweden may reform pharmacy regs
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
A Swedish government bill proposes an end to the state's monopoly on pharmacy ownership. The bill would allow independent licensed actors who meet "high requirements" to operate pharmacies in Sweden. Currently the government owns all pharmacies through Apoteket AB, and under the bill it would continue to own some pharmacies. The bill proposed Feb. 20 seeks to open pricing for OTC medications, establish price competition for generic medications and allow owners to negotiate the price of pharmaceuticals, according to a Feb. 23 release from the Swedish government. Sweden also proposes selling some OTC products in other shops beginning Nov. 1. However, the Medical Products Agency has yet to decide which products would be available outside of pharmacies