Public authorities seek ways to improve treatment of scabies

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare reported on 29 February that scabies cases have become increasingly common in Finland. On the same day, the Advisory Board on Communicable Diseases, which is appointed by the Government, also discussed at its meeting how to improve the diagnosis and treatment of scabies.

The high price of scabies medicines has sparked discussion in Finland. Several medicine packages are needed to treat one family, and this may result in considerable costs.

“At worst, scabies can seriously disrupt the lives of families with children. The disease causes unpleasant skin symptoms, and the meticulous measures required to get rid of it are demanding. For some families, treating scabies is also financially challenging,” says Director General Taneli Puumalainen from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
 
There are two medicinal products available for scabies treatment in Finland: a permethrin cream that can be obtained without a prescription and ivermectin tablets, taken orally, that require a prescription. According to the information received from the Finnish Medicines Agency, the availability of scabies medicines is good in Finland.

Pharmaceutical companies decide on the pricing of scabies medicines

Pharmaceutical companies decide on the pricing of medicinal products that are available for sale at pharmacies. If a pharmaceutical company wants its medicinal product to be reimbursed by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), it may apply for the confirmation of reimbursement status from the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board. The Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board decides on the reimbursement status and reasonable wholesale price for a medicinal product to be included in the medicine reimbursement system. If the pharmaceutical company does not apply for a reimbursement status from the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board, it may freely determine the product’s wholesale price.
 
Some European countries sell scabies medicines that are not currently available for sale in Finland. Bringing them to the Finnish market would require that pharmaceutical companies first apply for a marketing authorisation for their medicinal products and then make them available for sale at pharmacies.

The authorities are in discussions with several pharmaceutical companies to get them to apply for Kela reimbursement for their medicinal products. This would make a wider range of scabies medicines available in Finland. The Advisory Board on Communicable Diseases noted that particular attention must be paid to the diagnosis of scabies and the instructions for treatment so that scabies would be successfully treated more often than at present.

• Press release of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the Finnish Medicines Agency and Kela, 29 February 2024: Possible local scabies epidemics in Finland – number of diagnosed cases has increased significantly in recent yearsLänk till en annan webbplats
• Instructions for treating scabies on the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and WelfareLänk till en annan webbplats (in Finnish and Swedish)

Inquiries:

Aino Pennanen, Senior Medical Officer, tel. +358 295 163 314, aino.h.pennanen(at)gov.fi 

Taneli Puumalainen, Director General, tel. +358 295 163 280, taneli.puumalainen(at)gov.fi