Number and Type of Psychotropic Drugs on the Scandinavian Market in 1950-1977

Abstract

This article describes the number and types of psychotropic drugs on the market in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden from 1950-1977. The total number of drugs on the market in each country depended greatly on how psychotropic drugs were defined, but trends with time and differences between the countries were less affected by this definition. The number of drugs was highest in Finland and lowest in Norway. In all countries, the number of drugs increased from 1950 to the mid-1960s, most abruptly in Finland. They then quickly decreased in Finland and Sweden, but remained fairly constant in Denmark and Norway. The number of different active substances was much smaller than the number of drugs, and the differences between the countries were also smaller. The proportions of combination and hidden psychotropic drugs in relation to all psychotropics were considerable in Finland and Sweden, and the varying numbers of combination drugs contributed greatly to the wide differences in the numbers of drugs. From the medical point of view, far too many drugs were on the market in that period.