Swedish Women Cross Border to Finland for Estrogen Medication Amid Shortages

Swedish women are crossing the border into Finland to find estrogen medication, as shortages persist in their home country. The Finnish border town of Tornio has seen an increase in Swedish patients seeking treatments for menopause symptoms.

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They come here with paper prescriptions.

Pharmacies in Tornio report that Swedish women arrive with paper prescriptions, as e-prescriptions cannot be processed across borders. Pirjo Södervall-Barsk, a pharmacist with 50 years of experience, noted that while many prefer estrogen sprays for ease of use, these are also scarce in Finland.

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Wait a moment and I'll check. No, we haven't received the spray. We don't have it now.

The Swedish Medical Products Agency (Läkemedelsverket) anticipates that the estrogen shortage will continue through the autumn. Demand for transdermal hormone preparations like patches, sprays, and gels has risen sharply over the past decade. The agency is exploring measures, including potential dispensations for foreign-labeled drugs or licenses for unapproved medications, to alleviate the problem.

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There are quite a few dispensations for gel. Right now, there is better access to it than there has been previously.

While the exact number of women traveling to other EU countries for medication is unknown, the agency states that such cross-border purchases are permissible within legal frameworks. They advise patients to research the regulations in other countries, potentially through embassies, as they are responsible for obtaining the necessary information. Finland's regulatory authority, Fimea, has found no evidence that cross-border purchases from Sweden have impacted their own supply, though availability varies there as well.

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It is up to the patient herself to find out what applies. Such information can be obtained in various ways, if not through the embassy.