The drug market has returned to growth – Kommersant

The volume of the commercial drug market in the Russian Federation in March of this year amounted to 124.1 billion rubles. (in retail prices for sales in pharmacies) and increased by 21.1% compared to February, but decreased by 28.2% compared to March 2022, the analytical company DSM Group said in its monthly report.

Recall that in March 2022, the Russian drug market faced a boom in demand. Although no sanctions were imposed that would affect the pharmaceutical industry or drug imports, against the backdrop of news about the refusal of the largest logistics companies to work with the Russian Federation and the withdrawal of many foreign brands from the Russian market, consumers began to buy imported drugs. Because of this, sales in the commercial segment increased by 41.4% at the end of last March, reaching 175.5 billion rubles. The average cost of a pack of the drug then soared to 340 rubles, an increase of 18% compared to February.

Further, over the next few months, the consumption of drugs decreased: by 35% in April and by 11% in May. Positive dynamics in the commercial segment of the market was subsequently recorded only in August (plus 11%) and December (plus 21.3%) 2022. March was the first month in 2023 when drug sales increased. The average cost of a pack in March increased by 0.7% compared to February and amounted to 314.5 rubles.

In March, the share of localized drugs increased by 5.6% in monetary terms compared to the same period last year, and by 3.5% in physical terms (in packages). As a result, localized drugs prevailed in the volume of the market “in pieces” – their share was 66%. In the value volume of the pharmacy market of the Russian Federation, their share was noticeably smaller – 47.3%.

“In general, the volume of the commercial drug market in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022 in ruble terms decreased by 19%. The total capacity amounted to 333.9 billion rubles,” says Sergey Shulyak, head of DSM Group. According to Nikolai Bespalov, Development Director at RNC Pharma, the main factor behind the market growth in March compared to February is seasonal colds. “It is also obvious that the drugs that Russians bought with a margin in March last year have come to an end,” he notes.

Anastasia Manuylova