Technical problems that blocked prescription medicine access across Norway have been resolved. The nationwide system failure affected all pharmacies in the country on Friday afternoon.
Patients reported being unable to collect prescribed medications starting around 12:50 PM. The issue originated in the Eik data system, which handles prescription management and medical records for Norwegian pharmacies.
Apotekforeningen, the pharmacy association, confirmed the problems were fixed shortly after 2:00 PM. Their subsidiary Difa AS operates the Eik program that processes prescriptions and reimbursement claims.
Communication chief Jostein Soldal stated earlier that technicians were working intensively to resolve the system failure. The disruption lasted approximately one hour and fifteen minutes.
By 2:00 PM, Vitusapotek reported their pharmacies could download prescriptions again. Boots Apotek had also confirmed the system issues earlier in the day.
The quick resolution prevented what could have become a serious healthcare situation for patients dependent on regular medication. Norway's centralized pharmacy system means technical problems can create immediate nationwide consequences.