Painkillers to be prescription only in Denmark from 30 September 2013

The Danish Health and Medicines Authority (DHMA) has decided that large packs of mild painkillers will be prescription-only in Denmark from 30 September 2013. From this date, it will only be possible to buy small packs of mild painkillers over the counter. There will be no changes to the dispensing status of the medicines that can be bought over the counter after 30 September.

The effective date was decided after consulting the involved companies which had highlighted the need for a longer transition period than originally proposed by the DHMA to avoid running out of the small packages sold over the counter.

The decision does not change the medicines' reimbursement status. Therefore, the medicines which presently carry general conditional reimbursement when prescribed to treat "chronic pain" will maintain general conditional reimbursement for chronic pain. Likewise, the conditions for being granted general conditional reimbursement remain unchanged for medicines which presently carry general conditional reimbursement when prescribed to treat:

• "Secondary prevention of IHD, ischaemic cerebral apoplexy, TCI and PAD.
• Atrial fibrillation.
• Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease such as thrombosis and acute coronary syndrome in people older than 50 years of age, suffering from one or more of the following conditions: Hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity (BMI > 30) and a family history of AMI before the age of 55 in at least one parent or sibling.
• Polycythaemia vera.
• Essential thrombocythaemia.
• Idiopathic myelofibrosis.
• Unclassified myeloproliferative disorder."

As always, the doctor must write the word 'Tilskud' (reimbursement) on the prescription to indicate that the patient meets the conditions for reimbursement. The medicines which presently do not carry general conditional reimbursement still do not carry reimbursement.

Please also see the notice published on 8 April 2013: Painkillers to be prescription only in Denmark.