Central 

The Ministry of Welfare (and the Minister for Health in particular)
is responsible for:

• Creation and implementation of public health legislation pertaining to Health Services, Health Personnel, Health records, and health science and research;
• Policy formulation on health services;
• Hospitals;
• Health protection;
• Primary health services (except for the elderly);
• Agencies: Administration of Occupational Safety and Health; The Directorate of Health; The Icelandic Medicines Agency; The National Hearing and Speech Institute of Iceland; The State Diagnostic and Counselling Centre; National Institute for the Blind Visually Impaired, and Deafblind.

Responsible ministries/bodies

Ministry of Welfare 

Local

The Health Care system is largely centralised under the Municipalities Social Services Act, No. 40/1991. However, municipal authorities are responsible for:

• Monitoring of public health;
• Primary health services for the elderly;
• Services for people with disabilities; and
• Assistance to alcoholics and the prevention of drug abuse. 
  

Sources:

Local governments in Iceland booklet

Ministry of Welfare

Municipalities Social Services Act, No. 40/1991

Health Service Act, No. 40/2007

Healthcare Practitioners Act No. 34/2012

Medical Director of Health and Public Health Act, No. 41/2007

Whitaker, D and Thorsteinsson, G (2016) The Iceland Watch: A land that thinks outwards and forwards, Memoirs Publishing