Allergy to economy – Kommersant

The early onset of spring and the long absence of rains led to a surge in demand for allergy medicines: in April, their sales increased by more than 40% in monetary terms, in physical terms – by almost 30%. Russians more often began to switch to more expensive and modern drugs, they say on the market. However, some antihistamines familiar to consumers have not been available from suppliers for several months.

The volume of sales of antihistamines in April reached 5.5 billion rubles, having increased by 43% year-on-year, in physical terms, the growth was 27%, to 31.2 million packages, calculated in CRPT (operator of the Chestny Znak labeling system). The average cost of a unit sold increased by 12.7% over the year, to 176.1 rubles.

In April, the number of packs of anti-allergic drugs sold in the 36.6 pharmacy chain increased by 69% year-on-year. In “Zdravcity” growth was at the level of 50% year-on-year – such an indicator is called “unprecedented” in the network. Director of the Association of Independent Pharmacies Victoria Presnyakova speaks about the increased demand for popular anti-allergy drugs. Including Fenistil, Suprastin, Cetrin, Zyrtec, Desloratadine. “Solutions for injections were not particularly popular, but their sales increased,” she notes.

RNC Pharma Development Director Nikolai Bespalov explains that the demand for allergy medicines is highly seasonal. This year, the climate spring started earlier, which led to higher sales. An additional factor, the expert calls the steady period without rain. “Judging by the feedback from drug buyers, many experienced seasonal allergies for the first time this spring,” adds Boris Popov, general director of Zdravcity LLC.

DSM Group CEO Sergey Shulyak suggests that the growth in sales of antihistamines in monetary terms is associated with a gradual transition of customers to more expensive, modern drugs. The influence of the inflation factor on the cost of medicines at the beginning of the year was minimal, he adds. Victoria Presnyakova believes that the prices for allergy medicines have remained the same, and for some items even decreased. But the assortment in pharmacies has changed somewhat. “Now there is a steady shortage of Tavegil, Allergodil, Kromoheksal, Staloral, and suppliers have not had these drugs for several months,” the expert explains. Boris Popov says that sales of Russian anti-allergy drugs in January-April in physical terms increased by 11%, while imports decreased by 9%.

The dynamics for four months of this year turned out to be smoother. According to the CRPT, in January-April, the sales volume reached 21.4 billion rubles, an increase of 20.2% year-on-year. In physical terms, sales increased by 3% to 128.3 million packs. 36.6 estimates that in the first four months of the year, packaged sales grew by 13.4% year-on-year. Egor Zhavoronkov, head of the Pharma product group of the Central Regional Development Center, also draws attention to the seasonal increase in prices in pharmacies: in April, the average cost of a pack increased by 6.5% compared to March. Sergei Shulyak explains that 30% of the assortment in pharmacies is Vital and Essential Drugs, the cost of which is regulated, so the monthly price dynamics is most likely due to the reorientation of consumers to more expensive medicines.

Victoria Presnyakova draws attention to the fact that less than 1% of the country’s population turn to doctors with signs of seasonal allergies, but much more suffer from the disease. Drugs do not treat the disease itself, but the symptoms, she recalls. But the demand for antihistamines, according to the expert, nevertheless showed steady growth last year, when Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara and Rostov-on-Don became the leaders in sales of such drugs. Although, according to the CRPT estimates, in terms of the number of packages sold per capita, the leadership now belongs to the Moscow Region, where 304 drugs were sold per 1,000 people in April. Orel (278), Lipetsk (266), Kursk (265), Voronezh and Tambov (262 each) regions follow. In St. Petersburg, 255 packages were sold per 1 thousand inhabitants, in Moscow – 226.

Alexandra Mertsalova, Anatoly Kostyrev