Government bills27
- HE 111/2025 vpPassed with amendments
Medicine savings and deregulating self-care medicines
Prices of prescription medicines and pharmacies' gross margins will be cut, and the basis for determining the pharmacy tax will be reformed. At the same time, certain low-risk self-care medicines will be permitted for sale outside pharmacies and pharmacies will be given the right to deviate from prescriptions in situations of availability disruptions.
18 Dec 2025 · 12 votes90 jaa79 ei - HE 141/2024 vpPassed with amendments
Raising reduced VAT to 14 per cent
Value added tax (VAT) on medicines, books, passenger transport, and cultural and sports services will rise from 10 per cent to 14 per cent at the beginning of 2025. At the same time, the tax rate on menstrual products, children's nappies and incontinence products will fall from 25.5 per cent to 14 per cent.
29 Nov 2024 · 5 votes87 jaa67 ei - HE 129/2024 vpPassed with amendments
Raising initial deductible for medicine reimbursements
The annual initial deductible for prescription medicine reimbursements will increase from 50 euros to 70 euros from the beginning of 2025 and will in future be tied to the national pension index. At the same time, pharmacies will be required to keep in stock and always offer customers the lowest-priced medicine option.
9 Dec 2024 · 3 votesClosest vote · Lausumaehdotus, mietintö / Hanna-Leena Mattila
103 jaa79 ei - HE 14/2023 vpPassed with amendments
Right of appeal against involuntary medication
A patient in involuntary psychiatric care will be able to appeal to the administrative court against medical treatment prescribed for them. An official administrative decision must be issued on medical treatment if it cannot be provided in mutual understanding with the patient or if the patient requests a decision.
18 Dec 2023 · passed without a vote - HE 57/2023 vpPassed
Limiting the medicine ceiling increase
The increase in the annual out-of-pocket maximum for medicine expenses, or the medicine ceiling, will be limited from the start of 2024. The change prevents index increases from accumulating into a single year as a result of the 2023 freeze.
29 Nov 2023 · 1 voteOnly vote · 8 §, mietintö / Ilmari Nurminen
86 jaa68 ei - HE 39/2021 vpWithdrawn
Movement restrictions and mandatory masks
The Government could impose a temporary restriction on movement and a mandatory mask requirement in the areas worst affected by the coronavirus. Leaving one's home or residential grounds would only be permitted for essential reasons, such as travelling to work, visiting a doctor, buying groceries, or outdoor recreation with restrictions.
15 Apr 2021 · 1 voteOnly vote · Valiokuntaan lähettäminen, puhemiesneuvosto / Ben Zyskowicz
28 jaa26 ei - HE 314/2022 vpPassed with amendments
Introducing pharmacy substitution for biological medicines
Pharmacies will be required to substitute expensive biological medicines with cheaper equivalents, known as biosimilars. At the same time, biological medicines will be brought within the reference price system for medicine reimbursements to reduce medicine costs.
21 Feb 2023 · passed without a vote - HE 316/2022 vpPassed
Transfer of research ethics committees
Legislation on medical research will be updated to align with the health and social services reform, transferring the duties of hospital districts to wellbeing services counties and the HUS Group. At the same time, the fees charged for statements by regional research ethics committees will be clarified.
21 Dec 2022 · passed without a vote - HE 245/2022 vpPassed with amendments
Lowering medicine costs and reimbursement expenditure
Medicine prices and state medicine reimbursement expenditure will be reduced by obliging doctors to prescribe the most affordable biological medicines and by expanding generic substitution for asthma medicines in pharmacies. In addition, pharmacy sales margins on expensive prescription medicines will be cut and pharmacy tax will be reduced.
13 Dec 2022 · 2 votesClosest vote · Lausumaehdotus, mietintö / Terhi Koulumies
99 jaa72 ei - HE 184/2016 vpPassed
Medicine reimbursement cuts and price competition
Savings of 134 million euros will be targeted at medicine reimbursements by increasing price competition between medicines and reducing medicine wastage. At the same time, the reimbursement rate for diabetes medicines other than insulin will be reduced, and the quantity of expensive medicines reimbursed at one time will be decreased.
2 Dec 2016 · 2 votes144 jaa29 ei - HE 29/2022 vpPassed with amendments
Banning plant-based DMT and streamlining permits
Plant preparations containing DMT that are used for intoxicating purposes will be classified as narcotics. At the same time, control and permit procedures for narcotics will be eased and clarified.
5 May 2022 · passed without a vote - HE 205/2021 vpPassed with amendments
Reforming veterinary medicine use and monitoring
Species-specific data will begin to be collected on the use of antimicrobials administered to animals to combat antimicrobial resistance. At the same time, the rules on prescribing veterinary medicinal products and medicated feed will be consolidated into a single act in line with EU regulation.
21 Dec 2021 · passed without a vote - HE 107/2021 vpPassed with amendments
Medicine price competition and pharmacy expansion
The establishment of new pharmacies will be made easier, particularly in connection with health and social services units and in busy commercial areas. At the same time, fixed pricing for non-prescription medicines will be abolished, allowing pharmacies to compete on price within the limits of their sales margin.
14 Dec 2021 · passed without a vote - HE 18/2020 vpPassed with amendments
Reforming clinical trial evaluation
Finland will introduce common EU rules for clinical trials on medicinal products, and the ethical evaluation of clinical trials will be centralised under a single national committee. At the same time, requirements concerning participant consent and the processing of personal data will be clarified.
29 Oct 2021 · passed without a vote - HE 41/2021 vpPassed with amendments
Vaccine injury compensation for personnel abroad
State employees working abroad, personnel serving in crisis management duties and their family members will be entitled to compensation for adverse effects caused by a Covid-19 vaccine received abroad. Compensation will be paid on the same grounds as for pharmaceutical injuries caused by vaccines administered in Finland.
21 Apr 2021 · passed without a vote - HE 106/2015 vpPassed with amendments
Cutting health insurance reimbursements and copayments
Health insurance reimbursements for medicines, travel and medical care will be cut, and the copayments paid by clients will be increased. In addition, temporary additional fees will be imposed on operators in the pharmaceutical sector for 2016.
22 Dec 2015 · 5 votes114 jaa71 ei - HE 80/2020 vpPassed with amendments
Securing medicine availability during disruptions
The authorities will receive permanent powers to restrict and target the sale and distribution of medicines during severe supply disruptions. The reform will prevent hoarding of medicines and ensure an adequate supply of critical medicines for all patients.
24 Jun 2020 · passed without a vote - HE 40/2019 vpPassed
Extending conditional reimbursement for new medicines
Conditional Kela reimbursement for new and expensive medicines will be extended until the end of 2025. In addition, the rules on medicine reimbursements and entrepreneurs' occupational healthcare reimbursements will be clarified.
29 Nov 2019 · passed without a vote - HE 295/2018 vpLapsed
Permitting price competition for non-prescription medicines
Pharmacies will be able to sell non-prescription medicines below the statutory maximum price by accepting a lower retail margin. In addition, medicines can officially be dispensed to customers via pharmacy pick-up lockers.
18 Apr 2019 · no votes - HE 99/2018 vpLapsed
Streamlining pharmacy establishment and medicine supply
Establishing new pharmacies will be made easier and pharmacy owner handovers will be accelerated. In addition, care homes and sheltered housing units will be allowed to maintain a limited shared medicine stock for residents' unforeseen acute needs.
18 Apr 2019 · no votes