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OSLO, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Usual over-the-counter medicines can be up to three times more expensive in Norway than in Sweden and many Norwegian pharmacy customers save their money in the neighboring country, newspaper Aftenposten reported Sunday.
At the Swedish pharmacy Hjartat, just over the border to Sweden, Norwegian shoppers make 97 out of 100 customers. This pharmacy shop is one of the 10 most profitable shops of this Sweden's largest private pharmacy chain.
"We have much lower prices than the pharmacy in Norway and mostly Norwegian customers. Here they get goods that are much cheaper than home. That is why we also have so many Norwegian customers. After a while, we get to know them well," said the pharmacy's department manager Anne Dagoberth.
"We sell a lot of Ibux and Paracet. They cost around one third of the same type of medicine in Norway. The nose spray Otrivin is also one of the best-sellers," Dagoberth said.
She and her colleagues are preparing now for the Easter and summer season, Aftenposten wrote. Pollen allergy sufferers have already started arriving and thousands of doses of medicine Cetirizin against the allergy have already been bought by Norwegians.
Dagoberth emphasized that not only "ordinary people" purchase medicines at their pharmacy.
"We have been surprised by employees of Norwegian pharmacies dropping in and purchasing. We know about this, because they told us. It is easy to understand that the prices attracted them over here," she said.
Steinar Madsen, medical director of Norwegian medicines agency, told Aftenposten that "there was no reason to warn against buying medicines in Sweden."
"People can no longer get medicines via post, but they can bring them personally from Sweden," he said.
Jostein Soldal, head of communications of Norwegian pharmacy association, admitted to Aftenposten that there can be big price difference between Norway and Sweden.
According to Soldal, there is a strong competition between both pharmacies and pharmacies and other channels that sell over-the-counter drugs. Enditem
