Review of the pharmacy market

The plan points out pharmacy deregulation as a reason why pharmacies have moved from countryside to city and that medicine is difficult to obtain in large parts of the country, and demands that privatised socially critical activities be taken back and that the share of collective ownership increases. A comprehensive review of the pharmacy market with strengthened preparedness and the possibility of testing a re-nationalisation follow directly from this. The committee's reference to emergency pharmacies is not covered by the plan.

• take back privatised activitiesdecisive»Det är hög tid att agera och ta tillbaka den samhällsviktiga verksamhet och infrastruktur som har privatiserats.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is high time to act and take back the socially critical activities and infrastructure that have been privatised.”
• consequences of deregulation for pharmacies»Privatiseringar har lett till dyrare elpris, att apoteken flyttar från landsbygd till städer och från fattiga till rika områden« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Privatisations have led to more expensive electricity, pharmacies moving from countryside to cities and from poor to rich areas”
• unequal access to medicine»I stora delar av Sverige är det svårt att få tag på medicin, fast i storstädernas rikare områden finns det flera olika apotek i varje gathörn.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In large parts of Sweden it is difficult to obtain medicine, yet in richer areas of major cities there are several different pharmacies on every street corner.”
• increase collective ownership»utnyttjas fullt ut. De gemensamt ägda företagens andel av ekonomin« (party programme ↗)“is fully utilised. The share of collectively owned companies in the economy”

The plan's core commitment is to take back democratic control of welfare and stop the break-up through privatization, with democracy taking precedence over the market. A comprehensive review of the pharmacy market, including the question of re-nationalization and stockpiling for crisis and heightened preparedness, thus lies within the plan's line. The plan furthermore wants private healthcare providers to be obligated to contribute in crisis or war, which supports the demand for robust supply chains.

• democratic control of welfaredecisive»Det är dags att ta tillbaka den demokratiska kontrollen över välfärden och att stoppa sönderprivatiseringen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is time to take back democratic control of welfare and stop the break-up through privatization.”
• democracy's precedence»Demokratin har därför företräde före marknaden.« (party programme ↗)“Democracy therefore takes precedence over the market.”
• private actors' crisis responsibility»Privata vårdgivare ska vara skyldiga att bidra med personal och vårdplatser i händelse av kris eller krig.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Private healthcare providers shall be obligated to contribute staff and care beds in case of crisis or war.”
• medicine preparedness»ökade resurser för att rusta och bygga beredskapslager för sjukvården« (2022 manifesto ↗)“increased resources to equip and build emergency stockpiles for healthcare”

The party programme wants to remove commercially oriented actors from the welfare system and establishes that welfare activities must not be treated like any other market. The plan moreover wants to increase funding for civil defence and make society less vulnerable and more self-sufficient. A comprehensive review of the pharmacy market with strengthened preparedness, medicinal stockpiling and consideration of re-nationalization is therefore in line with the plan.

• away with profit-driven actorsdecisive»vill därför få bort de kommersiellt inriktade aktörerna och i stället främja idéburna verksamheter« (party programme ↗)“therefore wants to remove commercially oriented actors and instead promote idea-based activities”
• welfare is not a market»Välfärdens verksamheter får inte hanteras som vilken marknad som helst.« (party programme ↗)“Welfare activities must not be treated like any other market.”
• strengthened civil defence»satsa en större andel av försvarets pengar på det civila försvaret, och öka anslagen till krisberedskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“spend a larger share of defence funds on civil defence, and increase funding for civil defence.”
• robust supply chains»bli mer självförsörjande och mindre sårbara.« (party programme ↗)“become more self-sufficient and less vulnerable.”

The election manifesto defends choice within care and health services and rejects that responsibility moves to the state, and the party programme wants to see more actors and a market economy free from command-economy steering. The counter-proposal explicitly opens for a review of a re-nationalization of the leading pharmacy chain, which goes against these commitments. The plan's preparedness requirements speak for parts of the proposal on inventories and supply chains, but don't carry the main demand.

• choice, not re-nationalizationdecisive»Vi vill försvara valfriheten inom vård och omsorg och bedriva verksamheten nära vårdtagarna. Ansvaret för vården ska inte flyttas från regionerna till staten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to defend choice within care and health services and conduct the operation close to the care recipients. Care responsibility must not be moved from the regions to the state.”
• more actors in welfare»Centerpartiet vill se en välfärd som är gemensamt finansierad men som ger valfrihet och där fler aktörer bidrar till ökad innovation, effektivitet och kvalitet.« (party programme ↗)“The Centre Party wants to see a welfare system that is jointly financed but provides choice and where more actors contribute to increased innovation, efficiency and quality.”
• strengthen preparedness»Även det civila försvaret är livsviktigt. Vi måste rusta civilförsvaret och samhällets beredskap inför krig och kris.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Civil defence is also vital. We must strengthen civil defence and society's preparedness for war and crisis.”

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The plan establishes that the public should only conduct business operations where there is a strong public interest, not crowd out functioning private alternatives, and that freedom of establishment should prevail for those who meet quality requirements. The counter-proposal's requirement for a comprehensive review that does not exclude renationalisation of the leading pharmacy chain goes against this. The plan's requirement for state emergency preparedness responsibility, however, supports the preparedness part of the proposal.

• restrictive state businessdecisive»Det offentliga ska endast driva affärsverksamhet om det finns ett starkt samhällsintresse.« (party programme ↗)“The public should only conduct business operations if there is a strong public interest.”
• the state should not own companies»Staten ska inte äga flygbolag, banker och telebolag.« (party programme ↗)“The state should not own airlines, banks and telecommunications companies.”
• freedom of establishment in welfare»Vårdval och etableringsfrihet ska råda i hela landet för den som lever upp till kvalitetskraven.« (party programme ↗)“Care choice and freedom of establishment should prevail throughout the country for those who meet quality requirements.”
• state emergency preparedness responsibility»Staten ska ta ett större ansvar för sjukvårdens strategiska planering, placering av högspecialiserad vård, beredskap och långsiktig kompetensförsörjning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The state should take greater responsibility for healthcare's strategic planning, placement of highly specialised care, emergency preparedness and long-term competence supply.”

The plan requires that public operations build as far as possible on the absence of monopolies, and that monopolies and competition restrictions may only occur exceptionally. The counter-proposal wants a thorough review that does not rule out re-nationalization of the leading pharmacy chain, which contradicts this commitment. The resilience requirements in the plan support warehousing and robust supply chains, but do not carry the requirement for re-regulation.

• absence of monopoliesdecisive»offentliga sektorns verksamhetsformer ska så långt möjligt bygga på frånvaro av monopol.« (party programme ↗)“the public sector's operations forms shall as far as possible build on the absence of monopolies.”
• monopolies only exceptionally»Monopol och konkurrensbegränsningar får endast förekomma undantagsvis,« (party programme ↗)“Monopolies and competition restrictions may only occur exceptionally,”
• effective competition policy»effektiv konkurrenspolitik motverkar oligopol, monopol och illojal konkurrens.« (party programme ↗)“effective competition policy counteracts oligopolies, monopolies and unfair competition.”
• resilience in severe strain»delta i hanteringen av katastrofer och andra svåra påfrestningar i samhället« (party programme ↗)“participate in managing disasters and other severe strain on society”

The plan makes choice and a diversity of actors the cornerstone of the welfare model and establishes that development requires more choice and diversity, not less. An investigation that does not explicitly exclude renationalization of the leading pharmacy chain runs counter to this. The plan's commitment to better pharmaceutical preparedness supports the counter-proposal's preparedness part, but does not support the requirement for re-regulation.

• choice in welfaredecisive»För Moderaterna är valfrihet en central del av den svenska« (party programme ↗)“For the Moderate Party, choice is a central part of the Swedish”
• more diversity, not less»vi behöva mer valfrihet, mångfald och innovationsförmåga,« (party programme ↗)“we need more choice, diversity and innovation capacity,”
• diversity of actors»En mångfald av aktörer är också en förutsättning för förnyelse och innovation.« (party programme ↗)“A diversity of actors is also a prerequisite for renewal and innovation.”
• pharmaceutical preparedness»behöver Sverige bygga upp bättre beredskapslager av till exempel läkemedel och sjukvårdsmateriel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs to build up better stocks of, for example, medicines and medical supplies.”

The plan requires re-established emergency stockpiles and that self-sufficiency in medical material increases and can quickly scale up when disturbances occur, which carries the counter-proposal's demands for strengthened pharmacy readiness, medicine stockpiles and robust supply chains. The plan also wants to review the organization of care. On the ownership question, the plan is explicitly pragmatic and results-oriented, which does not prevent a re-nationalization from being tested in a review.

• medical supply readinessdecisive»Sveriges självförsörjning av energi, livsmedel och medicinskt material behöver öka och snabbt kunna skalas upp vid långvariga störningar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's self-sufficiency in energy, food and medical material needs to increase and quickly be able to scale up during long-term disturbances.”
• re-established emergency stockpiles»Återupprätta allmänna beredskapslager« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Re-establish general emergency stockpiles”
• review of healthcare organization»Se över sjukvårdens organisation« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Review the organization of healthcare”
• pragmatic ownership question»Sverigedemokraterna ett pragmatiskt och resultatinriktat förhållningssätt.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden Democrats a pragmatic and results-oriented approach.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.