Icelandic Medicines Agency

Exemption medicines most frequently prescribed in September 2026

6th October 2026

It is important that medicinal products with extensive and sustained use under the exemption scheme are registered and/or placed on the market

One of the roles of the Icelandic Medicines Agency is to monitor the availability of medicinal products, with the aim of preventing medicine shortages from affecting patient safety. The Agency has therefore been working to increase the number of medicinal products available on the market.

It remains a priority of the Icelandic Medicines Agency that medicines with extensive and sustained use under the exemption scheme become registered and/or marketed. It is evident that significant opportunities exist for the registration and/or marketing of these medicinal products, and the Agency encourages marketing authorisation holders and local representatives to give this matter careful consideration.

Below is a list of the twenty exempt medicinal products most frequently prescribed in September 2026. No prescribtions for exemption medicines were dispenced this month as a direct result of medicine shortages.

It should be noted that, in specific circumstances, the Icelandic Medicines Agency may authorise pharmacists to change a prescription for a particular medicinal product so that it may be dispensed as an approved exempt medicinal product. Such authorisation is granted only following an assessment of the safety of the proposed substitution. This measure is used only when it is clear that, without intervention, patients and healthcare professionals would face significant difficulties. In such cases, the prescriptions are issued as standard prescriptions, even though an exempt medicinal product is dispensed, and therefore these prescriptions do not appear in the accompanying list.

Exempt medicinal products in use during September due to medicine shortages

The list contains information on the name of the exempt medicinal product, its pharmaceutical form, the number of prescriptions, the name of the medicinal product for which the exempt product serves as a substitute, its marketing authorisation holder, local representative, and wholesaler. No exempt medicinal products were dispensed during September due to medicine shortages.

Twenty exempt medicinal products most frequently prescribed in September 2026

	Name of medicine	ATC	Pharmaceutical form	Active ingredient	Number of dispenced prescriptions
1	PROPRANOLOL	C07AA05	film-coated tablets	Propranololum	278
				Total	278
2	FINACEA	D10AX03	gel	Acidum azelaicum	114
				Total	114
3	Miralax	A06AD15	powder for solution	Macrogolum	112
				Total	112
4	SEM MIXTÚRA - FORSKRIFTARLYF	R05DA20	mixture	combinations	102
				Total	102
5	PROPRA-RATIOPHARM	C07AA05	film-coated talbets	Propranololum	97
				Total	97
6	REGAIN FORTE	D11AX01	topical solution	Minoxidilum	97
				Total	97
7	CLONIDINE	N02CX02	tablets	Clonidinum	96
				Total	96
8	SENEASE	A06AB06	tablets	Senna	96
				Total	96
9	DOCITON	C07AA05	film-coated tablets	Propranololum	83
			prolonged-release capsule	Propranololum	5
				Total	88
10	Levomepromazine Orion	N05AA02	tablets	Levomepromazinum	85
				Total	85
11	PERIACTIN	R06AX02	tablets	Cyproheptadinum	84
				Total	84
12	Quinine Sulfate	P01BC01	tablets	Chininii	84
				Total	84
13	Prednisolon	H02AB06	tablets	Prednisolonum	77
				Total	77
14	HIRUDOID SALVE	C05BA01	creme	Heparinoidum	76
				Total	76
15	CONDYLINE	D06BB04	topical solution	Podophyllotoxinum	66
				Total	66
16	Atarax	N05BB01	film-coated tablets	Hydroxyzinum	32
			mixture	Hydroxyzinum	31
				Total	63
17	Largactil	N05AA01	tablets	Chlorpromazinum	59
				Total	59
18	Oxybutinin	G04BD04	tablets	Oxybutyninum	55
				Total	55
19	SKINOREN	D10AX03	creme	Acidum azelaicum	54
				Total	54
20	Morfin "DAK"	N02AA01	tablets	Morphinum	53
				Total	53