Between January and October 2020, Russia manufactured RUB 399.1 bln worth of pharmaceutical drugs (manufacturer’s prices, VAT included), which is in monetary terms (rubles) 17% higher than in 2019. These dynamics are significantly lower, compared to the dynamics of the period between Q1 and Q3. The dynamics in physical terms are even less promising: +12.4% in units and +15.2% in minimum dosage units (MDU). The production volume in physical terms amounts to 4 bln units, or 68.4 bln MDUs.

It seems that the moment of truth will come to the Russian pharmaceutical retail market next year. After several years of relatively stable development and a number of waves of rush demand in 2020, 2021 may become a period of a most severe crisis, making all the current problems associated with the launch of the labeling system seem like mere trifles.

The incidence of COVID-19 has been going up since September, with November bringing records one after another, both in large cities and in Russia as a whole. Naturally, the demand for certain “corona-specific” drugs has also been increasing. With that more or less predicted, the market participants at all stages of commodity distribution, including wholesale, were preparing for an increase in morbidity associated with the end of the vacation season and the start of the school year when the labeling system altered the situation.

Between January and October 2020, the sales of veterinary drugs in the retail market amounted to RUB 17.6 bln (retail prices, VAT included), which is in monetary terms (rubles) 0.1% lower than in 2019. The volume in physical terms is 159.3 bln minimum dosage units (MDU), which is 0.9% lower than in 2019.

Between January and September 2020, Russia imported RUB 18.3 bln worth of pharmaceutical drugs for clinical trials (CT) (customs clearance and VAT included), which is in monetary terms (rubles) a bit more than 40% higher than in 2019. The dynamics in physical terms (units) are somewhat lower, +17%, with the import volume of 672,000 units.

Between January and September 2020, Russian manufacturers produced RUB 356.2 bln worth of ready-made pharmaceutical drugs (manufacturer’s prices, VAT included), which is in monetary terms (rubles) 20.8% higher than in 2019. The dynamics in physical terms (units) are +10.5%, with the manufacture volume of 3.5 bln units. If calculated in minimum dosage units (MDU), the dynamics are +14.2%.