Number of public pharmacies in the Netherlands 2017-2023
Macrogol most frequently used medicine
Examining the medicines with the highest usage in the Netherlands, macrogol, used to treat constipation, was with roughly 1.34 million users one of the most frequently used medications in 2022. Usage of omeprazole amounted to 1.23 million users, while diclofenac (which reduces inflammation and pain) was used by around 0.84 million users. Concerning the leading drug classes outside the basic health insurance coverage by total expenditure, spending on contraceptives, hormonal and local medicines amounted to approximately 44 million euros, followed by sleeping medicines and sedatives with an expenditure of some 43 million euros.
Increasing medicine costs per pharmacy
The average total medicine costs per pharmacy declined between 2011 and 2013, before increasing again to approximately 1.5 million euros per pharmacy in 2018 (last year for which data is available). The tariff revenues increased slightly as well, from 663 thousand euros in 2017 to 714 thousand in 2022.