28th November 2025
28th November 2025
Dashboard on the use of hypnotics and sedatives
A dashboard displaying the use of hypnotics and sedatives in Iceland has now been published on the Directorate of Health's website.
-Automatic translation
The dashboard is based on data from the Directorate's Prescription Medicines Register, which provides almost comprehensive, real-time information on all dispensed prescription-only medicines used outside hospitals. Data in the Prescription Medicines Register originates from prescribing healthcare professionals (prescriptions) and pharmacies (dispensings).
The data in the dashboard covers all drugs in ATC category N05C (sleep medications and sedatives), except for drugs in categories N05CD08 (midazolam) and N05CH (melatonin receptor agonists). The dashboard shows, on one side, information on the dispensed volume measured in defined daily doses (DDD) per 1,000 inhabitants per day, and on the other side, the number of individuals per 1,000 inhabitants who receive dispensed medicines within these ATC categories.
The figures on the dashboard are interactive, meaning they change based on the selected filters (such as gender, age groups, health districts, quarters, and the name of the medicine).
More information
Arnar Sigbjörnsson and Védís Helga Eiríksdóttir, project managers