Health care and hospital pharmacy in Finland

Health care services and community and hospital pharmacy practice in Finland are discussed. Specific topics covered include the education of pharmacists, national health insurance, health care services, community pharmacy practice and hospital pharmacy practice. The drug supply in Finnish hospitals is organized in one of three ways. Hospital pharmacies have a chief pharmacist who has a "proviisori" degree (comparable to M.S.). Central medicine supplies in hospitals without hospital pharmacies are under the supervision of the chief physician; the caretaker in larger hospitals is usually a pharmacist with a "farmaseutti" degree (comparable to a B.S.), and in smaller hospitals it is a nurse. In very small hospitals or nursing homes the medicines are kept in one place and cared for by a nurse.