{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T23:32:34Z","timestamp":1777937554685,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2012,10,1]],"date-time":"2012-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1349049600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Scand J Public Health"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: On 1 March 2009, a new reimbursement system was introduced by the Ministry of Health of Iceland regarding drugs to treat hyperlipidaemia. The Social Insurance Administration was only authorised to reimburse 10 and 20 mg simvastatin unless patients were eligible to receive a medical card from the Social Insurance Administration. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of this reimbursement regulation on the clinical outcome. Materials and methods: Patients that received hyperlipidaemia treatment and were admitted to the cardiac ward were enrolled. The criteria were that the patients had been admitted 1 year prior to the regulation change and were using other statins than simvastatin. Results: Out of 233 eligible patients 170 (73%) reached the treatment goal before the switch. After the switch, only 126 (54%) reached their goal ( p&lt;0.05). Total cholesterol was found to be increased after the switch by a mean of 0.48 mmol\/l (range 3.90\u22125.53 mmol\/l, p&lt;0.001). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased by a mean of 0.48 mmol\/l (range 1.62\u22123.11, p&lt;0.001). The level of triglycerides did not change significantly. Before the introduction of the new regulations, 73% of subjects were well controlled, but after 1 March 2009, this figure dropped to 46% (37% decrease). Conclusions: In order to lower costs for subsidising drugs, a switch to simvastatin from other cholesterol-lowering drugs was implemented (by the Ministry of Health of Iceland). The result was a significant and unwanted increase in cholesterol levels among patients with heart disease. The reason seems to be inaccurate prescriptions due to lack of competence among physicians and pharmacists. The use of \u201cone drug fits all\u201d does not comply here.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1403494812458991","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2012,10,2]],"date-time":"2012-10-02T00:44:03Z","timestamp":1349138643000},"page":"663-667","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Clinical consequences following regulatory changes in respect to reimbursement of statins cost by the Icelandic Social Insurance Administration"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"40","author":[{"given":"Sveinbj\u00f6rn","family":"Gizurarson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Science, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Linda R\u00f3s","family":"Bj\u00f6rnsd\u00f3ttir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Science, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rannveig","family":"Einarsd\u00f3ttir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Matth\u00edas","family":"Halld\u00f3rsson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Directorate of Health, Reykjavik, Iceland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Karl","family":"Andersen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Science, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,10,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-1403494812458991","unstructured":"Haarde GH. Address to the Nation by H.E. Geir H. Haarde, Prime Minister of Iceland. Reykjavik: Prime Minister\u2019s Office, 6 October 2008."},{"key":"bibr2-1403494812458991","unstructured":"Statistics Iceland. Quarterly national accounts, 2nd quarter 2009. Reykjavik: Statistics Iceland, 2009."},{"key":"bibr3-1403494812458991","unstructured":"Regulation on Social Insurance Administration\u2019s participation in the purchase of drugs nr. 236\/2009 [Regluger\u00f0 um grei\u00f0slu\u00fe\u00e1ttt\u00f6ku sj\u00fakratrygginga vi\u00f0 kaup \u00e1 lyfjum Nr. 236\/2009]. Stj\u00f3rnart\u00ed\u00f0indi 2009;B-3:873\u201377."},{"key":"bibr4-1403494812458991","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0002-9149(97)00965-X"},{"key":"bibr5-1403494812458991","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/clc.4960140211"},{"key":"bibr6-1403494812458991","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0002-9149(03)00530-7"},{"key":"bibr7-1403494812458991","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(05)67394-1"},{"key":"bibr8-1403494812458991","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2125.2007.02907.x"},{"key":"bibr9-1403494812458991","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/MLR.0b013e3181e41bcb"},{"key":"bibr10-1403494812458991","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthpol.2011.10.010"},{"key":"bibr11-1403494812458991","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthpol.2006.04.002"},{"key":"bibr12-1403494812458991","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10198-009-0172-3"},{"key":"bibr13-1403494812458991","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00508-009-1292-6"},{"key":"bibr14-1403494812458991","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1161\/circ.106.25.3143"}],"container-title":["Scandinavian Journal of Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1403494812458991","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/1403494812458991","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1403494812458991","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,2]],"date-time":"2026-05-02T04:08:59Z","timestamp":1777694939000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/1403494812458991"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2012,10,1]]},"references-count":14,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,11]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/1403494812458991"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1403494812458991","relation":{},"ISSN":["1403-4948","1651-1905"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1403-4948","type":"print"},{"value":"1651-1905","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2012,10,1]]}}}