Drug Consumption in Norway 2019-2023
Report
|Published
This year’s report Drug consumption in Norway includes data and information from the Norwegian Drug Wholesales Statistics for the period 2019-2023.
Summary
This year’s report Drug consumption in Norway includes data and information from the Norwegian Drug Wholesales Statistics for the period 2019-2023. The reports published in 2020, 2021 and 2022 also contained data from the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD). The Norwegian Prescription Database has been developed into a new and modern registery named the Norwegian Prescribed Drug Registry (NorPD). Data from NorPD are now published on a new website https://statistikk.fhi.no/lmr/, and are not included in this year’s report. Nevertheless, to be able to put total sales of drugs and drug consumption on prescription to individuals in context, some key figures from NorPD are included in this report.
In 2023, drugs for human use were sold worth a total of NOK 27.2 billion (pharmacy purchase price (AIP)), an increase of 6% from the previous year. Over time, there has been a steady increase in total sales measured in defined daily doses (DDD). In 2023, the number of DDDs was 3.3% higher than the previous year. The sales include medicines with and without marketing authorisation in Norway. Non-prescription drugs accounted for around 9.2% of total sales measured in DDD. The sales of veterinary medicines were NOK 2.4 billion (AIP).
Figure 3.1.1 (in the pdf-file) shows the development in total sales of drugs for human use in the period 2003 to 2023 in NOK (AIP) and DDD. Over time, the increase in cost has been higher than the increase in volume, measured in DDD. Increased prices as well as the introduction of new and more expensive drugs have affected the increase in cost. Among others, drugs affecting the alimentary tract and metabolism (ATC group A), especially new blood glucose lowering drugs (ATC group A10B) used for diabetes and obesity, has contributed to an increase in costs the last years. Costs will also be affected by exchange rates. Population growth and an increased proportion of older people also contribute to increased drug consumption.
Antineoplastic and immunomodulatory agents (ATC group L) had the highest turnover in NOK and accounted for 21% of costs for human medicines in 2023. The group includes expensive drugs for the treatment of cancer as well as biological drugs for the treatment of, for example, arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Many antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents do not have a DDD, thus the increase in sales of these agents will not be reflected in the number of doses (DDDs) sold.
