Anja, a resident of Vantaa, experienced a shock during a recent visit to her local pharmacy when she discovered that the price of her prescription medication had increased dramatically. The cost of a package of 60 coated tablets of Apixaban, a blood thinner she regularly uses, surged from €16.65 on September 20 to €43.50 on February 17. This over 2.5-fold increase in just five months was alarming and she likened it to the rising costs of coffee. Ilta-Sanomat, the source of the report, has verified these price changes through receipts.

Reima Palonen, the head of the pricing board for medications, attributed the sharp increase in prices primarily to the exit of competing parallel products from the market at the end of the previous year. With no substantial rivals offering the same or similar medications, the pharmaceutical company Ratiopharm remained the sole provider of Apixaban in the market, leading to a significant price hike. The competition that had previously kept drug prices in check no longer existed by the time January rolled around, allowing the cost to escalate dramatically.

The implications of this price increase are significant for patients dependent on this medication for the prevention and treatment of blood clots. Such spikes in medication prices can push individuals like Anja to reconsider their healthcare options and may spark calls for regulatory measures to avoid similar situations in the future. The scenario reflects a broader concern about pharmaceutical pricing and access to essential medications in Finland and beyond.