From January to October 2022, Russia imported 31.4 billion rubles’ worth of veterinary drugs (customs clearance and VAT included), up 5.9% from the same period in 2021. In physical terms, the import grew 7.4%, with more than 27.4 million packages imported. As for feed supplements, the import fell 5.9%, with almost 34 billion rubles’ worth of products. In physical terms, the import, 120,100 tons, went down 14% from January–October 2021.

In January–October 2022, Russia imported 673.8 billion rubles’ worth of ready-made pharmaceutical drugs (customs clearance and VAT included), up 9% from the same period in 2021. As for bulk drugs, the import was 151.3 billion rubles, up 17.7%. In physical terms, the import of both groups decreased—ready-made drugs went down 8.6%, with 1.36 billion packages imported, and bulk drugs went down 30%, with 1.29 billion minimum dosage units (MDU).

In January–October 2022, Russia imported 160.8 billion rubles’ worth of APIs (customs clearance and VAT included), down 1.7% from the same period in 2021. In physical terms, the import was up 21.9%, with more than 16,500 tons imported.

In January–October 2022, Russian manufacturers produced 579.5 billion rubles’ worth of ready-made drugs (manufacturer’s prices, VAT included), up 18.5% from the same period in 2021. As usual, the high inflation rate played a significant role here, especially since it has been 10% or higher since March. In physical terms, the production volume was 3.44 billion packages, up 2.9% from January–October 2021. If calculated in minimum dosage units (MDU), the volume was 65.4 billion MDUs, up 2.1% from the same period last year.

Market Shares of Seven Major Pharmaceutical Distributors Decline in Q1–Q3 2022

The number of factors influencing the Russian pharmaceutical market may have reached a historic high this year, which is why partial mobilization was hardly surprising. The way it affected the Russian economy is worth describing as vividly as possible. First, a significant part of consumers was lost, including not only the mobilized conscripts, but also those “tourists” who fled Russia to its neighboring states, with solvent consumers among them. Second, for a relatively short period of time, the pharmaceutical market saw a “militarization” of demand, which included the need to provide conscripts with drugs and medical devices used in warfare, as well as general panic moods stimulating the demand for certain drugs.