
A new report says that after many years of gradual increase followed by a three-year levelling off period, sales of addictive anxiolytic and hypnotic drugs decreased by just under two per cent in 2010.
This comes from the new report "Drug Consumption in Norway 2006-2010". The statistics include all sales of prescription and OTC drugs in Norway from wholesalers to pharmacies, hospitals / nursing homes and grocery stores. The report also shows that total sales of OTC medicines measured in DDDs declined by six per cent in 2010.
This is mainly due to lower sales of OTC packets of paracetamol and ibuprofen. If prescription packs of paracetamol and ibuprofen are included, the sale of these two drugs was relatively stable in 2010. This means that more people are being prescribed these medicines by their doctor.
Sales of drugs measured in doses (DDD) increased by 0.9 per cent in 2010. There have only been minor changes in most drug groups.
Source: Eurekalert
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