Katri Aaltonen
D.Soc.Sci., Ph.D. (Pharm), Docent
Department of Social Research katri.m.aaltonen@utu.fi +358 29 450 4693 +358 50 475 5862 |
Health policy; social policy; pharmaceutical policy; pharmacoepidemiology
PI, Research project MultiMed; Co-PI Research projects CoWest, Pikkuiset
My doctoral degree in pharmacy (2017) is from the University of Eastern Finland, and my doctoral degree in sociology (2025) from the University of Turku. I was awarded a Title of Docent (academic title awarded in recognition of scientific and teaching merits) by Tampere University in 2024. At the University of Turku, I have worked since 2019, currently as an Academy Research Fellow. Previously I worked as Research Council of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher (Economic burden of medicines on households: De-commodification and re-commodification (DE-RE)). Prior that, I worked as Researcher and Senior Researcher at Kela since 2010.
Secondary positions:
- Senior Researcher at the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela)
- Researcher at the Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland (Varha).
My research interests include health and social policy, equity considerations and access to services and medications, quality use of medications, citizens' opinions and experiences, and evaluating the effects of policy reforms.
Current research projects:
- PI: Multilevel governance and decentralization of medicine budgets - Striving for quality and sustainability (MultiMed). Funding: Research Council of Finland Academy Research Fellowship, Grant 354657
- co-PI: Strengthening collaboration towards effective and integrated services for children, young people and families with children in Southwest Finland and Western Uusimaa (CoWest). Funding: Research Council of Finland, Grant 373060
- co-PI: PIKKUISET. Funding: State grant, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
- Lääkekaton vaikutus lääkekulutukseen (2019) Terveystaloustiede 2019 Aarni Soppi, Katri Aaltonen, Jouko Verho
- Olisiko lääkekaton jaksottaminen useampaan osaan ratkaisu korkeisiin omavastuumenoihin? (2019)
- Kelan Tutkimusblogi
- Suomen lääketilasto 2018 (2019) Suomen lääketilasto 2018 Leena Saastamoinen, Katri Aaltonen, Tinna Voipio
- Toimeentulotuki mahdollistaa lääkkeiden saatavuuden myös kaikkein pienituloisimmille (2019)
- Kelan Tutkimusblogi
- Growth of diabetes drug expenditure decomposed-A nationwide analysis (2018)
- Health Policy
- Toimeentulotuen saajien lääkekorvausoikeudet ja lääkkeiden käyttö (2018)
- Sosiaalilääketieteellinen Aikakauslehti
- Estimating the economic effects of pharmaceutical reimbursement scheme reform by microsimulation (2017)
- Research On Finnish Society
- Cost-related barriers to use of health services and prescription medicines in Finland: a cross-sectional survey (2015)
- European Journal of Public Health
- Income differences in the type of antihypertensive medicines used in ambulatory settings in Finland: a register-based study (2015)
- European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
- From systemic hormone therapy to vaginal estrogen - a nationwide register study in Finland, 2003-2012. (2014)
- Maturitas
- The authors' reply to Wonder and Milne: "Comparing subsidized access to medicines across payer systems". (2013)
- PharmacoEconomics
- Trends and income related differences in out-of-pocket costs for prescription and over-the-counter medicines in Finland from 1985 to 2006. (2013)
- Health Policy
- A 3-dimensional view of access to licensed and subsidized medicines under single-payer systems in the US, the UK, Australia and New Zealand (2012)
- PharmacoEconomics
- The impact of pharmaceutical cost containment policies on the range of medicines available and subsidized in Finland and New Zealand (2010)
- Value in Health



