Nordic Life Science 1
“Finland has much to teach us. The country has a
strong, well-coordinated system with clearly defined roles and responsibilities across authorities, companies, and logistics providers. This enables quick action without being slowed down by administrative hurdles.” But we must also state the obvious: progress is too slow. We’re operating in a world that won’t wait for our processes to catch up. We know what needs to be done. Now is the time to act. F Katarina Gabrielson, CEO, Oriola 46 | NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG inland has much to teach us. The country has a strong, well-coordinated system with clearly defined roles and responsibilities across authorities, companies, and logistics providers. This enables quick action without being slowed down by administrative hurdles. Thanks to these characteristics, Finland has been tasked with establishing shared EU-wide emergency stockpiles that can be activated within twelve hours. This is part of the European rescEU programme, a concrete example of how local expertise and European collaboration can go hand in hand. Oriola’s presence in Sweden and Finland gives us a clear overview. We see what works, where bottlenecks arise, and how cooperation between countries could be strengthened. Structures are already in place for Nordic collaboration in other critical areas – medicines should not be the exception. We share supply chains, transport routes, and production dependencies. When one link in the chain is weakened, the effects are immediate across borders. O ne issue that is often overlooked, though, is legislation. At present, there are regulatory obstacles that prevent the redistribution of medicines between regions and healthcare units, even when the need is obvious. We therefore need a legal framework for emergency scenarios, that allows resources to be directed to where they are needed most. Otherwise, we risk having supply but not access. Sweden has the knowledge, the will and the capability. But ambition alone won’t get us there. We need to up the pace. What we do now will shape the preparedness we rely on tomorrow. At Oriola, we’re ready to shoulder our share of the responsibility – but we need to do it together with others who also recognize the urgency of acting in time. NLS ABOUT THE AUTHOR Katarina Gabrielson is the CEO of Oriola, a specialist in the wholesale and distribution of pharmaceuticals, health and wellbeing products in Finland and Sweden. She also serves as a member of the board of GIRP, the European Healthcare Distribution Association. THE CHANGING WORLD // THE NORDICS PHOTO DAVID LAGERLÖF