Only 5% of Russian doctors believe that the devaluation of the ruble will not change anything in the Russian pharmaceutical market, according to an online survey by the RNC Pharma analyst company and the Doktor Na Rabote (Doctor at Work) social media service for doctors. Another 2% expect that prices rises will decrease demand for “useless” drugs (vitamins, probiotics, etc.).

Unfortunately, those opinions are far from popular. Most of the doctors (37%) think that the ruble crisis will result in a decrease in the availability of drugs and hence an increase in self-medication, including by home remedies. This has already begun to come true, though not so much because of the devaluation, but the hype around the coronavirus disease. In particular, people have been buying up hydroxychloroquine preparations.

As for the public procurement system, the doctors expect the situation to worsen. 29% of the respondents expect the government to make economies and introduce discharge restrictions. 38% of the doctors from Moscow believe that the government will make mass economies, against 26% of the respondents from other regions. Another 23% of the respondents expect an increase in demand for alternative drugs, including locally-made ones. The previous large-scale crises in the Russian economy did boost the import substitution.

What consequences for the healthcare system will the devaluation of the ruble bring? (single-answer question)