Pharmaceutical service  is an essential aspect of health care and medical treatment. The MSAH is responsible for developing pharmaceutical service , and preparing legislation on medicines.

The aim of pharmaceutical service is

• to promote safe medical treatment
• to safeguard comprehensive pharmaceutical service nationwide
• to promote cost effectiveness in the use and prescription of pharmaceuticals
• to develop the reimbursement system appropriate to treatment
• to keep pharmaceutical costs to patients and society reasonable.

Administration and supervision of pharmaceutical service

Pharmaceutical service is guided, supervised and developed by the Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea), the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board, the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) and the National Institute for Health and Welfare under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

The Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea is responsible for the general planning and guidance of pharmaceutical service.  It promotes the population's health and safety by supervising medicinal products, blood and tissue products and by developing the pharmaceuticals field.

Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea 

The Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board (Finnish acronym: HILA) works in conjunction with the Insurance Department of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. It confirms the reimbursement status and reasonable wholesale prices for the medicinal products, clinical nutritional preparations and basic ointments reimbursed under the health insurance scheme.  The reasonable wholesale price is the maximum price at which the preparation can be sold to pharmacies.

The reimbursement payable under health insurance is based on the wholesale price confirmed by the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board.  A medicinal product for which marketing authorisation has been granted can be sold without a confirmed wholesale price, but in that case it does not entitle to reimbursement.

Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board (Hila)

The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Finnish acronym: Valvira) guides and supervises the prescription practices of the health care professionals and units.

National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira)

The National Institute for Health and Welfare promotes the application of pharmacotherapy in practice in the context of social and health services. The National Institute continues the operation of the Rohto network that the former Centre for Pharmacotherapy Development (ROHTO) was responsible for and supports the Rohto workshop operations.