Medicine is expensive in Finland
@ 2:15 pm 
We’ve talked about how Finland’s high-tax economic model and protectionism discourages competition in the consumer marketplace; hence, as with its Nordic neighbors, Finland has ultra-high consumer prices considering a broad range of products and services. And perhaps consumer apathy doesn’t help either. So, it’s no surprise that medicine is also expensive in Finland. Apparently, there is a small handful of countries where it is more expensive, but that should be no consolation considering the comparatively tiny salaries in Finland.
Well, luckily I’m not a big user of medicine, so the high prices don’t affect me personally. Besides, if I really were to need large quantities, I could just go to another EU country and buy them at lower prices like we do with other consumer products, right? But prices aside, what really annoys me is the pharmacies’ monopoly on selling basic pain relievers and medications.
One thing I really liked about the United States is that, if my balls itched in the middle of the night, I could go to the nearest gas station mini-market and purchase some anti-ball-itch lotion. Same thing with influenza medications, hydrocortizone creams and all sorts of pills that cure hangovers.
Ok, Finland doesn’t have an all-night mini-market yet—even R-Kioskit close at 21:00—so a direct comparison becomes somewhat mute. But maybe you get the picture anyway: There’s no waiting in line for the next ball-itch expert in a white lab coat to tell me that I shouldn’t ingest my new anti-ball-itch lotion orally. Or that I should only take two-Aspirin every four-hours, as needed…..to cure my hangover, of course.
In Finland, I actually need to make a doctor’s appointment to get some of these simple remedies—a big waste of time for both me and the medical system. In the US, I just put the damn stuff on the counter, next to my giant pastrami-on-rye sandwich and Diet Coke, and pay. No hassles.
I still have a 100-count bottle of Aspirin that I bought for 99ct during my last trip to the US; it still cures my occasional hangovers after many years. And I probably still have a half-eaten pastrami-on-rye sandwich somewhere in my suitcase—they’re so big that I could never eat the whole thing at once.
Recently, I went to a Finnish doctor for some Melatonin. He told me I could get it at a Pharmacy in Estonian without prescription.
I told him it can be purchased trouble-free in US supermarkets or the local Wal-Mart lol
Comment by Kristian — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 3:40 pm
I get depressed during the winter so I asked for Kava Kava, to which I was told that it was not approved for sale to the public and that I should not medicine myself.
I guess it is healthier to go in deep depression and drink myself into oblivion until Spring time. What a fucking joke.
Comment by unlce sam — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
Actually you dont need a doctors appointment for such simple basic medicin as you dicribed, like aspirin or cortisone cream. You can buy most basic medisines from farmacists with out a description, just put it on the counter and pay for it. And in every town there should be at least one farmacist open 24h.
Comment by orangeseeds — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 5:38 pm
Kristian: “Finland doesn’t have an all-night mini-market yet”
BS. See this, for instance: http://www.abcasemat.fi
Comment by Anon. — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
I guess I better simply stop reading Kristian’s misinformed, meanspirited rants - Phil surely is just as mistaken most of the time (with his at times quite hilarious cultural misconceptions, maternity box, anyone?!), but he at least makes the honest, even if inept, effort of trying to understand the other side and I don’t think he knowingly makes false claims. Kristian does that regularly or then hasn’t lived in Finland for 30 years. And I thought when that odious Finnpundit stopped writing that this site would become quite nice to read even if contrary to my own thinking…
Comment by mjr — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 6:01 pm
Apparently, there is a small handful of countries where it is more expensive
Such as your Shangri-La, Switzerland, where they are twice as expensive as the EU average. Well, luckily everyone in Switzerland is a multimillionaire, so it doesn’t matter.
As for the relevance of taxes in the pharmacy system in Finland, it is good to remember that the hereditary privilege of operating a pharmacy dates back from Imperial times and Finland in the 19th century was a libertarian wet dream. Don’t you folks have a boner over hereditary privileges?
What’s good about the pharmacies in Finland is that the clerks know what they’re selling. A B.Sc in pharmacy is a requirement. I’ve suffered enough in countries where the medicine I need is sold OTC but the clerks don’t know shit from shinola and it’s a major challenge to get what you need even when you spell out the active ingredients for them.
Ok, Finland doesn’t have an all-night mini-market yet
Utterly incorrect.
In Finland, I actually need to make a doctor’s appointment to get some of these simple remedies
There you have a point. More medicine needs to be OTC.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 6:06 pm
Did this come to you as a surprise? Prices are higher in Nordic countries, so why wouldn’t medicine be as well? I was actually surprised that the difference from average price was only 11%, which is only 11 cents more for every euro. Moreover, this study doesn’t take into account the state reimbursements in different countries. A lot more interesting study would be how much in average a citizen spends on medicine a year.
Define simple remedies. The selection now is pretty good for self medication. In the end, is the state that pays, when people mismedicate themselves with drugs they think they know how to use. In States there are 76 000 hospital admissions a year caused by NSAIDs (painkillers) and 7600 deaths.
Yes, let’s make it so that you can get everything, antibiotics and the lot over the counter, like in some countries. Yeah, thanks a bunch for creating MRSA & co. And the same goes to the doctors who prescribe antibiotics just because the patients _want_ them for their sniffles.
BTW, kava has been found to be liver toxic and therefore banned in several countries. Guess how much a new liver costs. Personally I’d rather be blue than yellow (or dead).
Comment by Pyroptera — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 6:45 pm
I thought you all has socialized medicine? So if so why do you have to pay?
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission†— Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 7:18 pm
I thought you all has socialized medicine? So if so why do you have to pay?
Prescription medicine is partially covered, OTC medicine is not.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 7:56 pm
Guess how much a new liver costs.
Nah. Chinese livers cost almost nothing at Wal-Mart.
Comment by Erik — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 9:20 pm
“Yeah, thanks a bunch for creating MRSA & co.”
Not the cause of MRSA.
Comment by Unit — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 9:56 pm
5 euros for 20 asperin in Finland. geez crazy prices. i like 99 cts for 100 better like in america.
Comment by Anonymous — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 11:00 pm
mjr: I guess I better simply stop reading Kristian’s misinformed, meanspirited rants”
You know, I asked myself the same question about it being meanspirited. But it was meant to be funny more than anything else—maybe I missed? Sorry if I did. Must be the Melatonin that I took before bed. My first time, and I’ve been feeling weird all day. Kind of dazed, I guess.
Comment by Kristian — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 11:49 pm
Anon: BS. See this, for instance: http://www.abcasemat.fi”
Yeah, you got me there. I should have wrote Helsinki, not all of Finland. Sure, there’s probably one *somewhere* in Helsinki, too, if you look far enough; but let’s face it, there’s a major shortage considering that people are out all night on weekends.
Comment by Kristian — Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 11:54 pm
Freeridin’ Franklin: “Such as your Shangri-La, Switzerland, where they are twice as expensive as the EU average.”
Yes, but net earnings are twice Finland’s. It’s a big difference.
Freeridin’ Franklin: “hereditary privilege of operating a pharmacy dates back from Imperial times and Finland in the 19th century was a libertarian wet dream. Don’t you folks have a boner over hereditary privileges?”
Strictly speaking, in a true Libertarian society, anyone could own a pharmacy. No heredity necessary.
Freeridin’ Franklin: “A B.Sc in pharmacy is a requirement.”
A Bachelor’s? Just curious, is it from a polytechnic or university? In the states, one needs a Masters as far as I know.
Freeridin’ Franklin: “There you have a point. More medicine needs to be OTC.”
Two things recently… The abovementioned Melatonin and some special hydrocortizone cream for eczema that I occasionally get around my eyes. Nothing serious in either case, so it seemed like such a waste of time to go to a physician—wasted both my time and his.
I’m pretty sure most of western Europe has the same ridiculous system. Maybe there’s hope for eastern Europe, though. I see Finland as a cross between eastern and western Europe; just wish it would swing more to the liberal eastern side on some things. Instead, it chooses to be the most restrictive of all.
Comment by Kristian — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 12:08 am
Hell…the Finnish government makes you purchase cream of tartar (tartaric acid iirc ), the stuff you use to stabilise egg foams, etc. ( and also used in baking powder )from the aptekki because the fuckers believe you might decide to off yourself by pooping to death given that it is a VERY mild laxative when taken in large doses.
Man, that aptekki monopoly used to bug the crap outta me.
Comment by hfb — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 12:36 am
“Prescription medicine is partially covered, OTC medicine is not.”
you pay 60% taxes and they make you buy the drugs?
Wow, are you all getting a deal.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission†— Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 2:06 am
“99 cts for 100 better like in america.”
do you all have the dollar store as well? I did get asperin (200 in a bottle) for a dollar. My best deal is the sun glasses, including corrected glasses for a dollar in the dollar store.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission†— Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 2:12 am
I’ve been using hydrocortizone cream for years and I’ve always bought it OTC.
Comment by Fägäri — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 2:30 am
#18 “I’ve been using hydrocortizone cream for years and I’ve always bought it OTC.”
Yes, but not the kind for around your eyes. A doctor’s prescription is needed for it in Finland. It’s OTC everywhere else.
The regular kind to which you are referring should be sold in supermarkets.
Comment by Kristian — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 3:12 am
Another typical self-centred (& mean-spirited & misinformed)post from Kristian who’s upset now because Finland prevents him from just snapping his fingers to get some balm on his putrid nut-rot.
There are far more serious issues with access to medicines than your hangover or festering balls, with about 30 per cent of the world’s population still without any regular access to essential medicines, three quarters of Africans having no access to AIDS treatment and that most AIDS treatments are still under monopoly of companies who work to prevent other manufacturers and governments producing generic versions of medicines (for AIDS and other diseases).
Comment by pi — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 6:10 am
There really is a urgent need to break this “apteekki” monopoly as it stands now. It is way too inconvinient for the public for 99% of time when life saving drugs are not in question. Where Kristian fell of the wagon was when he compared the system to that of the U.S. which is milking the old and the sick dry with their stratosferic drug prices that owe their existance to high priced ex politician-lobbyist and shameless people’s representatives.
HFB, since that incident with Santa, when you slept with him, you haven’t posted anything! I suppose, you haven’t divorced that Finnish hubby of yours yet, but at least keep on posting something! And remember, Daddy is still here for you!
Comment by Petteri — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 6:22 am
You can’t even buy rubbing alcohol in Finland without signing some junk papers at the Apteeki. That’s bad juju for those of us who have acne.
Because, you know, all of us want to filter the alcohol through bread to get REALLY junk :P. Yesh…
Not to mention the price of birth control pills has shot through the roof also. I guess it makes sense since Finland wants people to procreate and make more people to pay more taxes.
Comment by Wha? — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 8:59 am
I have a allergy to Koivu pollen.. and was given a prescription for some nasal spray and 100x lung inhaler of something.. went to chemist and they wanted nearly 100€ for it all… like WTF!!
The UK NHS is much derided and certainly does have its failing (mostly beurocratic not the people working there) but 1 thing for it, I get a prescription from a doc… its 6.10ukp for each item… whatever its actually costs.. and yes if a ‘generic’ is available for less you can buy that instead… wtf is this about a welfare system…. doesn’t seem to work to me
Comment by Chris — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 10:09 am
Ahh,,, another thing… last summer I was given ventilin before they tested me for allergys.. 60x UFO type machine cost over 25€..
I was on holiday in France and the UFO thing run out.. went to local chemist in some small village or another and got 3x boxes of 20 discs for a different machine.. the whole lot cost about 9€.
Finoland I think must be one of the drug companys favorite places.. cos they can charge what they want and SOOOooo many people have allergys here
Comment by Chris — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 10:13 am
I agree with some points here. We definitely need MORE OTC medicine. The restriction on some drugs are a big joke. I have a thing where I need those nasal sprays before I go on a flight, so shops might have a weak selection of the lame ones, that aren’t really working for me so well.
So, I bought this one nasal spray from the US, just from an ordinary store. They had like stronger sprays as well, but I got some “normal” one. Worked wonders. That baby actually has all the incridients to actually function, strong enough, totally OTC, no hassle, cheap, good.
And all the people saying, well, you can damage yourself buying all kinds of shit… you know, just focus on yourself. Mind your own business. I don’t come to your houses to tell you not to eat all that sugar and fat, that’ll cost a lot of money as well. I don’t come and cry about things you do.
Comment by Annoyed Finn — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 10:57 am
Also considering that I pay more taxes than an average citizen and will have paid considerably more before I die, I want two livers. I don’t see how some drunk, wasting his life drinking and not giving a crap, hassling with other people, just being a misery causing prick to everyone, never contributing, a total leecher, you know… I want two livers then. Maybe I just want to throw them agains the wall, I don’t care. I want two livers. Just put them on hooks attached to strings and let them hang from my suit when I’m in my cascade. Or have a BBQ. Bottom line, if many of us have to pay for the stuff that is currently wasted by the government, we want livers delivered to our doors and we want some damn medicine from stores and if someone has a problem with it, no livers for them.
Comment by Annoyed Finn — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 11:03 am
I also like the 100 tablet bottles of aspirin that you can buy practically anywhere in the US. I also like being able to buy stomach ache remedies, antiseptics, ointments, anti-fungal, etc.
medicine just about anywhere, over-the-counter. No doubt, when I go there in July, I will get all kinds of pain relievers, vitamins, ointments, etc. for our medicine cabinet. I also like Listerine mouthwash, which you can’t find in this part of the world.
The pharmacies in Finland often do not have very good opening hours, and if you forget something before a holiday, tough luck. You won’t find anything but bandages at the local ABC.
A more libertarian approach with medicines would also be nice in Finland. Unfortunately, it is pretty universal in the EU that anything medical is sold in a pharmacy. How the pharmacies sell medicine differs greatly, though. While I was in Madeira, a Belgian tourist came in and bought antibiotics without a prescription for his wife, who he said was suffering from a urinary infection.
In Kenya, I was able to go and buy Voltaren (=very effective analgesic that is mild on the stomach and liver) without any prescription, as well as just about anything else. That is how
I came to know that it is really good and works well. I was having
a neck ache.
Comment by Sirkuspelle — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 12:08 pm
Annoyed Finn, great rant about the liver
Comment by Kristian — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
“some drunk, wasting his life drinking and not giving a crap, hassling with other people, just being a misery causing prick to everyone, never contributing, a total leecher, you know…”
and the best part, the drunk gets the same rights as you to go to the front of the medical line, and get his free liver.
Yep, thats your Welfare state in action. Good job Finland.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission†— Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
“most AIDS treatments are still under monopoly of companies who work to prevent other manufacturers and governments producing generic versions of medicines (for AIDS and other diseases).”
Under monopolies by companies who INVENTED the treatment. Do you think they are going to charity work, spend billions to invent a drug and than give away the patent? By the way, if these companies hadn’t invented the treatment would they be around? I think not. Only evil corporations invent lifesaving drugs, figure out a way to mass produce them, and then sell them throughout the world. Call this a fact of life: Corporations need to make a profit or they sieze to exist. Tough, but true. No other entity will do it.
Comment by maaksalaatikko — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 4:32 pm
If these companies hadn’t invented the treatment would “they” be around? “They” meaning treatments in this case.
Comment by maaksalaatikko — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 4:33 pm
Annoyed Finn, I’m really annoyed of people, who think it’s their body and they can do what they want with it (this includes those drunks as well). But when they fuck it up, they run to the state to fix it. I’d love to see a waiver introduced, that people could sign. Then they could do whatever they want, without any responsibility from the state. Otherwise, the state has the right to do damage control, aka be the nanny state. Insurance companies do the same, if the damage is caused by your neglicence; no compensation, tough luck.
A B.Sc (a university degree) or higher is needed in Finland to answer any questions conserning medicine. Technicians can only answer questions like “how much is this?”
A box of 20 aspirin is actually a little bit over 2 euros, not 5. Many of the normal versions of painkillers in States are actually milder, for example ibuprofen 200mg and paracetamol 200mg. 400mg and 500mg versions (respectively) are sold as “extra strength”, here they are the normal versions and the milder ones are basically meant for children.
As for cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate BTW) isn’t sold only in pharmacies for safety reasons. It’s sold there, because it’s a speciality stuff that ordinary shops don’t want to sell, as it’s not widely used here. You can find it in some other speciality shops if you’re lucky, though.
Comment by Pyroptera — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 6:03 pm
Annoyed Finn, I feel your pain. Welcome aboard but hold on. This is a criticise Finland free area and we don’t take too kindly to people thinking outside of the norm ;=
Comment by Punter — Tue, Jun 12th, 2007 @ 10:12 pm
Pyrotera, Who said I supported ‘nanny state’ to begin with? I don’t agree with it. So yeah, I’m annoyed with people who think they can enforce their idea of ‘what’s best for you’ on others. Mind your own business. Like I said, give me my extra livers, I’ll throw them against the wall or sell them in the black market. What you’re really saying is that I can’t do what I want with my body, because there are lots of idiots in this country who will need help because they can’t function like normal people and have to be taken cared of. This isn’t my fault, but I end up paying for it anyway. So you can be as much annoyed as you want, as long as you mind your own business, it’s all fine by me.
Also, I think it never occured to you, but if I didn’t have to pay for the nanny state, I might have actually earned enough to pay for my own damn liver. So am I also forced to care about other people as well, and if so, then why don’t they care about themselves enough to actually work it out? Or better yet, why do these people also think they have the moral right to… teach moral and ethics to me and tell me how I should live? Is that because they can’t take care of themselves? Or is it that I can’t have a say in this, because I COULD have enjoyed the same benefits but didn’t? Or is it that even these opinions are actually a product of the education system, paid by tax payers, thus I have to shut up and enjoy the winning lottery ticket? I guess you got me there. I’ll shut up. Keep on spending money and telling people what they can’t do. I guess we really aren’t equal after all.
Comment by Annoyed Finn — Wed, Jun 13th, 2007 @ 12:56 am
Finn
get over it. You are the payee, and you stand at the back of the line for your liver.
Thats the fact, now just get over it. But please pay your 60% in taxes.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission†— Wed, Jun 13th, 2007 @ 3:24 am
Pyoptera - “As for cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate BTW) isn’t sold only in pharmacies for safety reasons. It’s sold there, because it’s a speciality stuff that ordinary shops don’t want to sell, as it’s not widely used here. You can find it in some other speciality shops if you’re lucky, though.”
Bitch, what? It’s a large component of baking powder and, given the popularity of meringues, I would suspect it would be more commonly used if a) you didn’t have to haul ass down to the aptekki and b) explain to the white coat what it is you are looking for. One of those very smug looking over-educated white coated people told my husband that it was, indeed, for safety reasons that one had to go to the aptekki for it and wait for 30 minutes while one of them figured out wtf you were looking for and then explain that you might poop yourself to death if you ate it…..Go on, go down to the Yliöpistonaptekki in the center by the train station and ask. The same for baker’s ammonia and a variety of other normal baking supplies.
Name a single specialty shop that sells it. I visited them all in Helsinki….
Comment by hfb — Wed, Jun 13th, 2007 @ 5:31 am
It should be stressed that the comparison was -NOT- for consumer prices.
Comment by Agent Provocateur — Wed, Jun 13th, 2007 @ 8:43 am
37. I don’t think so. Are you sure you’re not mixing it with bitter almond oil which IIRC you had trouble getting (see, I’ve read your blog, nice cakes btw). That’s sold in pharmacies for safety reasons. Whether it’s necessary or not, I don’t know. Perhaps there are some people who can’t believe few drops are enough. On the other hand if he explained that it was meant for cooking, I can understand their warnings, as it’s not used for cooking here (not by “normal” people anyway). Bakeries do use it, but they buy them from wholesale food ingredient suppliers.
Baker’s ammonia and cream of tartar are food additives (E336 and E503).Though cream of tartar has actually also been used as a laxative. If you want to buy several kilos of these from the pharmacy, you can. People use these here mainly for dying wool, and they buy them in big buckets. I doubt the reason why it’s not used here is due to the fact it’s only available from pharmacies. It’s just that it isn’t traditional in Finland. You can make meringue without cream of tartar too, you know.
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen cream of tartar being in a couple of foreign food shops, albeit these weren’t in Helsinki.
Comment by Pyroptera — Wed, Jun 13th, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
38. I think it was for consumer prices. Traditionally, wholesale prices have been quite low in Finland.
Here’s 2005’s wholesale prices
http://www.pif.fi/tiedostot/Wholesale_price_index_in_Western_Europen_countries_2005_(ID_1884).pdf
and here’s probably the same study that was in the topic from 2005
http://www.pif.fi/tiedostot/Price_level_indices_for_pharmaceuticals_2005_(ID_2067)_(ID_2069).pdf
It’s weird that wholesale prices are lower, yet consumer prices are higher. The prices are actually set by the state, not the pharmacies.
Here’s who-gets-what from 2004
http://www.pif.fi/tiedostot/Medicine-Euro_2004_(ID_1973).pdf
You can see that in Sweden there’s nothing marked for state, when in fact it’s the state that own the pharmacies in Sweden.Don’t know if it’s the same for Ireland. Also weird is that in UK, nothing is marked for pharmacies.
Comment by Pyroptera — Wed, Jun 13th, 2007 @ 6:29 pm
Erik, (no.10) I bet that you will be delighted when your liver is gone and you need one of those Chinese livers from Wal-Mart…
Comment by StupidBanana — Wed, Jun 13th, 2007 @ 7:35 pm
Besides, if I really were to need large quantities, I could just go to another EU country and buy them at lower prices
Yeah, I’d go to Germany where the medicine cost only 28% above the average. Or Switzerland with its 87%. In Finland the difference is whopping 11%.
http://www.stat.fi/til/kvhv/2005/kvhv_2005_2007-06-08_tie_003.html
Besides in Finland the prices went down only 5% last year while in Germany I’m sure they dropped by at least 100%.
Comment by Anonymous — Wed, Jun 13th, 2007 @ 8:22 pm
pyoptera - I’m aware you can make meringues and other egg foams, i.e. sponge cakes, without cream of tartar but generally they wind up dry and flat. All you need is 1/8 to 1/4 of a teaspoon, i.e. a very small amount. The tub of it I was forced to buy from the aptekki was enormous and expensive. I thought a lot about eating a bunch of it to get my money’s worth out of it but….
Still, it’s ridiculous that all of these normal baking supplies are found only in the aptekki just because the state treats everyone like an idiot who can’t be trusted to take an aspirin or a mild laxative for their constipation without having to ask for permission to do so.
As for the bitter almond oil…puhleeze. If you can afford enough bitter almond oil to off yourself, you’re probably going to choose a more efficient way to go. The Fazer cakes contain enough to smell and taste it…. And that actually isn’t required to be sold in the aptekki anymore.
Comment by hfb — Thu, Jun 14th, 2007 @ 3:50 am
the state treats everyone like an idiot
But clearly you are an idiot.
Comment by Anonymous — Thu, Jun 14th, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
hfb, you should’ve gone to a “proper pharmacy”, not the yliopiston one. Most of the smaller pharmacies will sell and pack you the exact amount you want. These smaller pharmacies are excellent for getting all sorts of “weird stuff” ie. stuff that normal shops don’t want to carry, because there’s so little demand. Glucose, lactose, food colours (in powder form), glycerol, you name it. None of these are controlled, but you can basically only find in pharmacies. I think you are correct about the bitter almond oil, but I also think it’s artifical now, or they’ve removed HCN from it. Anyway, whoever decided that it was to be sold in pharmacies, I think they had accidents in mind, not suicides.
As for the study discussed, apparently this study was done using 2005’s prices. A 5% cut on medicine prices was done in the beginning of 2006, and this actually puts Finland under the average (just). Here’s a new study using data from the beginning of 2007
http://www.pif.fi/tiedostot/Public_price_index_2007_(IMS)_(ID_2084).pdf
Comment by Pyroptera — Thu, Jun 14th, 2007 @ 5:51 pm
hfb, I assume that pyoptera is not a typo, since you’ve done it twice. Didn’t notice it until now. Actually quite funny
Comment by Pyroptera — Thu, Jun 14th, 2007 @ 6:01 pm
I’ve just been staying at home waiting for something to happen. I just don’t have much to say right now, but so it goes. I’ve basically been doing nothing to speak of, but shrug. Today was a loss. I don’t care. That’s how it is.
Comment by pen — Wed, Oct 17th, 2007 @ 9:58 pm
63258
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Comment by MOsiqggg — Thu, Nov 29th, 2007 @ 12:51 am
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Comment by XAmUiuon — Thu, Dec 6th, 2007 @ 10:24 pm