Sales of pharmaceuticals in Russia doubled in the week before Muscovites and residents of several other regions began self-isolation. Demand increased for many items, from antiseptics to antidepressants.
Sales in pharmacies doubled after the introduction of the first quarantine measures in Moscow and the decline in the ruble exchange rate. During the week of March 16-22, the volume of sales of medicines increased by 96% compared to the same period in 2019. Sales during this period reached 39.1 billion rubles. A week earlier, from March 9 to 15, sales growth was 37%.
The dynamics of coronavirus infection and the intensification of measures to control the epidemic have increased demand for medicines. On March 16, more than 5,000 events were canceled in Moscow. On March 18, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin asked employers to shift employees to telecommuting. On March 20, the dollar jumped to 80 rubles, according to the Central Bank’s exchange rate. These events have stimulated demand for pharmaceuticals.
According to DSM Group, antiseptics and disinfectants have become the leaders in sales growth – in the two weeks from March 9 to March 22, they grew by 147% compared to the period from December 30 to March 8. Sales of antiviral drugs have doubled. This group includes “Arbidol” – it has been officially tested in China for the treatment of coronavirus.
According to Nikolay Bespalov, head of development at the analytical company RNC Pharma, there is a direct link between the growth of sales in pharmacies and the coronavirus. “In the early stages, there was a surge in demand for antivirals and immunomodulators, not to mention masks,” he said. “Then paracetamol, which WHO officials had recommended in the event of coronavirus detection, started to disappear. Then there was a sharp increase in demand for antimalarials, which are also prescription drugs and have a number of serious side effects.”
Before the quarantine, people would stock up on essential medicines to avoid unnecessary trips outside the home, Bespalov adds. Deliveries were made by people with chronic diseases. The demand has increased not only for goods related to the coronavirus. Against the background of the growth of the dollar, buyers began to stock up on pharmacies, explained to the Russian service of the BBC Evgeny Nifantyev, chairman of the Coordinating Council of the Russian Association of Pharmacy Chains. Demand increased in particular for cardiovascular and diabetes treatments.
It might have been expected that demand for sedatives and antidepressants would also increase in light of the negative events. However, demand for these products grew less than the market average. Sales of tranquilizers for the week of March 16-22 were up 48% over the previous year, while antidepressants rose 84%, slightly below the market average of 96%. Compared to the beginning of the year, demand for these medicines did not grow as strongly.
According to Nikolay Bespalov, the increase in demand is “relatively short-term”. He is confident that it will be followed by a decline in demand, in part due to a decline in purchasing power. In addition, people will use up their old stocks of medicines.