LostInTheWoods

I am currently fighting the first throws of a cold. Dang, I don't get ill very often, so I have dosed myself up to fight the enemy within.

I just went to our medicine closet and realised that we had enough paracetamol and decongestant to unblock and then flatten an elephant. So I thought I would explain why this is.

In Sweden you cannot buy any medication in your normal supermarket, unlike the UK. In a UK supermarket there is often a whole aisle dedicated to aspirin, paracetamol, and lots of other self-medicating goodies, a hypochondriac's paradise no less. But here you have to go to a chemist (drug store), and there is a lot smaller range of products. All chemist shops are owned by a Government owned company called “Apoteket”, and is essentially a state monopoly.

The cost of medicine is higher here, not sure by how much, but enough to make it worth our while to buy up a stash when we visit the UK. Also there is a lot more choice in the UK, you can buy products made by generic companies at a quarter of the price but without the flashy packaging. Exactly the same stuff, as all companies adhere to the same regulations.

Sometimes we forget how much we have already, so now it has mounted up. I just hope we can use the stuff within the use by dates....

Another classic example of bulk buying gone mad is, erm... my panic regarding... achem, grapefruit marmalade.

I love the stuff, but last September I went temporarily insane and bought enough to last me the next four years. Well, if there is world shortage, give me a shout and may share a jar with you.

That is all.
LostInTheWoods