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The Norwegian Pharmacy Association

Our goals for pharmacy policy

We are dedicated to further developing pharmacy policy, with the goal of enabling pharmacies to offer residents more and better healthcare services.

We want to provide good health services for patients

Incorrect use of medicines is one of the greatest challenges facing the healthcare system. One in five emergency hospital admissions is due to incorrect medication use, and 30–50 percent of people use their medications incorrectly.

We want to:

  • Further develop the services provided by pharmacies, such as vaccination, inhalation assessment, new medicine service, and multidose dispensing.
  • Further develop the “Over-the-counter assessment” scheme.
  • Ensure that the "Sales of OTC medicines outside of pharmacies"-scheme is evaluated in terms of patient safety and pharmaceutical policy goals, especially considering young patients and other vulnerable groups.
  • Conduct an assessment of which new pharmacy services would provide the greatest value for both society and patients to free up capacity in the rest of the healthcare system.

We want pharmacies to contribute to the public healthcare

Pharmacies can play an even more important role as part of the healthcare frontline and help free up municipal and specialist healthcare capacity across the country.

We want to:

  • Help ensure that pharmacies play a central role in an adult vaccination program.

  • Ensure all pharmacists receive prescribing rights for all non-living vaccines.

  • Have national vaccination remuneration rates that apply regardless of who administers the vaccine.

  • Ensure that pharmacies are involved in plans of municipalities and health authorities.

  • Make better use of pharmacies' accessibility to reach groups that the rest of the healthcare system struggles to reach or follow up.

We want predictable economic conditions for pharmacies

Pharmacies are strictly regulated, and much of their sales are controlled by the authorities. To be able to provide good services, pharmacies need stable and predictable economic framework conditions.

We want to:

  • Introduce annual inflation adjustments to pharmacies’ fixed fees for the sale of prescription medicines.

  • Ensure that government-set prices are not so low that access to generic medicines is weakened.

  • Introduce public remuneration rates for new national healthcare services in pharmacies.

  • Ensure that the economic framework for pharmacies encourage innovation and the development of healthcare services in pharmacies.

We enable good digital solutions

In Norway, the pharmacy sector collaborates well. Together, the pharmacies have developed common digital solutions, and the sector is positive about the development and implementation of national e-health solutions.

We want to:

  • Ensure that the authorities finance the development of pharmacy IT-systems that arise from government requirements.

  • Have solutions for efficient digital dialogue between pharmacies and general practitioners.

  • Safeguard the needs of pharmacies and their patients in the development and implementation of the National Patient Medication List.

  • Establish a national digital power of attorney solution to collect prescription items on behalf of others.

We work to find good solutions for medicine shortages and pharmaceutical preparedness

Medicine shortages have increased in scope and frequency in recent years. This can have serious consequences for patients. Pharmacies spend a lot of time managing shortage situations. Pharmacies can also actively contribute to  preparedness plans.

We want to:

  • Help ensure that pharmacies quickly gain access to medicines in shortage situations, such as foreign packed products.

  • Enable pharmacists to use their professional expertise to provide good solutions for patients during shortage situations.

  • Ensure that pharmacies' financial compensation for handling shortages reflects the extra work and risks involved for pharmacies.

We work to ensure pharmacies have access to a qualified workforce

Pharmacies mainly employ pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, who are licensed  healthcare professionals. While the number of pharmacists has increased, there remains a need for greater pharmaceutical expertise. The regulatory framework must support and enable high professional standards within pharmacies.

We want to:

  • Increase the number of applicants to pharmacy studies and the proportion of students who complete the program.

  • Ensure that educational institutions train pharmacists to become excellent medicine advisors within the healthcare system.

  • Strengthen and further develop the common continuous professional development program for all pharmacy employees.

  • Contribute to high-quality pharmacy services across the entire country.

We want sustainable pharmacies

The pharmacy sector wants to be a driving force for sustainable 
development and work to reach the UN Sustainable Development 
Goals. Together, we will create joint initiatives to strengthen 
sustainability and environmental considerations in pharmacies.

We want to:

  • Facilitate the use of pharmacy systems and staff expertise to improve sustainability in pharmacies and pharmacy services.

  • Share experiences and knowledge on sustainability in national and international forums.

  • Contribute to the responsible  use of antibiotics and actively support efforts to limit the development of antimicrobial resistance.