The Norwegian authorities want you to still be able to buy Ibux in shops, kiosks and petrol stations. This is written by the Directorate for Medical Products, which determines which medicines can be sold outside pharmacies. It caused a stir when the Norwegian Association for General Medicine, the Norwegian Pharmaceutical Association and the Norwegian Dental Association in April advocated a ban on selling the well-known painkiller ibuprofen in shops, kiosks and petrol stations. The associations believed that the medicine is too easily available and that customers do not receive enough guidance on use and side effects. Therefore, they wanted the non-prescription product only to be sold over the counter in pharmacies. The active substance ibuprofen is sold under several different product names, such as Ibux. Photo: Marius Guttormsen / news The three associations believe that far too many people use ibuprofen, when they should rather be using paracetamol – which is often sold under product names such as Paracet, Panodil and Pinex. – The reason why we wanted Ibux to be removed from shop shelves is that we believe that most people do not know the difference between Paracet and Ibux. When you buy painkillers in the shop, those who work at the shop are not allowed to ask any questions or guide you in their use, says Marte Kvittum Tangen. She is a leader in the Norwegian Association for General Medicine (NFA). – Paracetamol should be the first choice if you need painkillers, says Marte Kvittum Tangen, head of the Norwegian Association for General Medicine. Photo: Anders Fehn / news Ibuprofen is a painkiller of the NSAID type. It has a good pain-relieving effect, but causes side effects more often than paracetamol and can be harmful in combination with a number of other medicines. – We know that Ibux has more frequent side effects. The medicine reacts more often together with other medicines. That’s why we want Ibux to be taken off the shop shelves, and only be sold without a prescription at the pharmacy, where you can also get guidance on how to use it, says Tangen. The side effects include: Interactions, i.e. how ibuprofen works together with other medicines. it is more harmful to the kidneys, it can increase the tendency to bleed, you can get a maintenance headache if you use it frequently – that is, you can get a headache if you don’t use ibuprofen. According to Helsenorge.no, paracetamol is recommended as the first choice if you need painkillers. Paracetamol has few side effects and can be combined with most other medicines. The arguments did not reach the directorate. – The concern about overuse of painkillers, especially among children and young people, applies to the same extent to the use of paracetamol as ibuprofen, they write. – There is already an age limit of 18 for the purchase of medicines and the sales figures for ibuprofen in the shops have been relatively stable over a long period of time. The effect of removing ibuprofen from the shops is therefore uncertain. Availability and price competition have also played an important role, according to the directorate. – Not surprised Tangen is not surprised by the directorate’s conclusion. – We still believe that it was important that we raised that issue, and we still believe the same. Our input has contributed to the fact that perhaps a few more people now know the difference, and that it has therefore had an effect just that we brought it up, she hopes. Instead of removing Ibux from the shops, the Directorate for Medical Products believes that other measures will be more targeted and proportionate, such as better labeling of the medicine packages. Photo: Scanpix / SCANPIX Sent out for consultation The Directorate for Medical Products now wants input on the proposal before a final decision is made. The hearing deadline is 9 January. Tangen does not think the consultation round will change the conclusion the directorate has reached. – Most of the time there are no major changes after consultation rounds, but it does happen. We hope that there may be others who have the same concerns as us, and who can support our assessment, says Marte Kvittum Tangen. Published 10/10/2024, at 17.08
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Ibux should still be sold in shops, says the Directorate for Medical Products – news Nordland
