Pharmacist shortage forces dozens of pharmacies to close or cut hours this summer

By law, a trained pharmacist must be on site at the pharmacy during all opening hours.

The pharmacist shortage is unfortunately a challenge for the entire industry, says Gabriella Ohlzon, press officer at Apotek Hjärtat, which was forced to close 17 pharmacies for part of the summer.

A total of 435 of the country's 1,400 pharmacies have been forced to temporarily close or reduce their opening hours.

Apoteket AB says that approximately 90 of its pharmacies have had to close for a limited time, while around 70 have had to adjust their opening hours.

Kronans Apotek says that around 130 pharmacies have been forced to change their opening hours, while around 15 have had to close completely for certain periods.