According to fresh data from the Social Insurance Institution (Kela), a total of 4.1 billion euros worth of medicines were sold in Finland in 2024, a five-percent increase from the previous year.
Of these, 2.6 billion euros’ worth were covered by health insurance. Of these, Kela paid a 1.9 billion euros in medicine reimbursements last year.
Pharmaceutical reimbursements have risen briskly over the past 15 years, and accelerated last year, said Kela senior researcher Kati Sarnola.
This is partly due to the introduction of newer, pricier drugs and the ageing of the population.
More than a third of reimbursements were for cancer and immune-response drugs.
Dramatic rise in use of ADHD meds
One group of medicines that has grown strongly is ADHD medicines. Last year, Kela paid out 27 million euros in compensation for central nervous system stimulant medicines used to treat ADHD, up by 20 percent from 2023.
"ADHD and other attention deficit disorders are being diagnosed more often these days, and this is reflected in the increased use of medication," explained Sarnola.
According to Kela, the use of ADHD medications has almost tripled in five years. Over 115,000 people received compensation last year.
"There has been a lot of discussion about whether there may be overdiagnosis of ADHD and other attention deficit disorders, and whether we should be medicating patients who would benefit from other forms of support for everyday life," Sarnola told Yle.
