National Survey
Usage of Illegal Medicines in Sweden
Substance Use
Background
The Swedish Medical Products Agency wanted to increase the understanding of how, why, and to what extent illegal medicines are used in Sweden, as well as public knowledge of how to verify whether online pharmacies are legal or not. For this reason, a collaboration with Perspetivo was established.
A national quantitative study was conducted, focusing on mapping behaviors and attitudes related to the purchase and use of illegal medicines, with particular emphasis on identifying knowledge gaps, risk behaviors, and areas where clearer information and guidance may be needed. A total of 2,061 respondents participated, and the collected data was representative, reflecting the demographic distribution of the Swedish population.
“Perspetivo gave us more than 2,000 respondents to our survey. Thanks to their understanding of different target groups, they were able to design questions that generated deeper insights.Knowing statistics isn’t enough to conduct a good survey, you also need to understand people. This helped us get further in less time.”
Jonas Pertoft, Communications Strategist and Founder of Södra tornet
Result
The study provided a robust picture of public attitudes toward illegal medicines in Sweden, as well as levels of awareness regarding legal and illegal purchasing channels. The results highlighted clear differences in knowledge and behavior across population groups, shedding light on where risks are most prevalent and where understanding is limited.
Through the insights generated, the authority gained a strengthened evidence base to support future communication initiatives, regulatory efforts, and policy development within the pharmaceutical area. The representative data now serves as a foundation for more targeted and effective measures aimed at protecting public health and improving consumer awareness.
