For the first four months of this year due to the outbreak of coronavirus infection in commercial segment of Russian pharmaceutical market grew by 12%, according to data Analytics company AlphaRM. As a result, the expenses of Russians on drugs during this period increased to an average of 2.5 thousand rubles For pharmaceutical companies, the emergence of COVID-19 turned not only demand growth, but also edit the relevant legislation, while not all the changes in the company view as positive.The epidemic of the coronavirus infection have created an increased demand for a number of drugs in the commercial segment of the pharmaceutical market and forced the government partially to simplify its regulation. The changes discussed yesterday the participants of the online conference “Pharmaceutical market of Russia: from 2020 to 2030″.As follows from the data presented by the company AlphaRM, after four months 2020 the pharmaceutical market in Russia in monetary terms increased by 23% compared to the comparable period last year, while the increase in government segment accounted for 48%, commercial — 12%. If considered not in rubles and in packages, the situation is different: commercial segment increased substantially state — 13% vs 10%.The market volume in this period amounted to 576 billion roubles, two-thirds, as last year, the money of consumers (65%). From the state 35% market share 19% have subsidized medicines, and 11% — hospital segment, up 5% on the provision of medicines for patients with rare diseases. The average amount of Russians spending on drugs in the first four months of this year 2552 (it’s 12% more than last year).”The increase in private expenditure on drugs, obviously, is caused by coronavirus infection. While we now see a decline in sales, which is probably for the year will give us a less than 1% growth of the overall market,” said CEO AlphaRM Anna Ermolaeva. The increase in the segment of public procurement, according to her, mainly due to the implementation of the national project on cancer and not with the appearance of coronavirus. Note that private demand for the drugs may still be growing — according to the results of a study conducted by pharmaceutical company STADA, 20% of respondents in Russia are planning to stock up on a specific set of drugs for future use in case of a return to isolation in the future.The epidemic has led not only to higher sales but also to the easing of regulation of circulation of medicines in Russia. Director of healthcare Economics of the company “R-Pharm” Alexander Bykov recalled that the government decree, the registration period for new drugs was reduced to 20 working days. “First and foremost it was necessary to enter the market of drugs for the treatment of a coronavirus, however, the weakening of regulatory Tr��compliance programme will help everyone,” he said. Executive Director Association of pharmaceutical companies “Pharmaceutical innovation” Vadim Kukava noted that the same decree provides for the possibility of import to Russia parties of unregistered medicines, however it is unclear how this change harmonized customs procedures. In his opinion, since the epidemic has led to the closure of borders, a number of companies in need of postponement of introduction of compulsory labelling of preparations (starts 1 July.— “Kommersant”).Independent consultant Vladimir Anikeyev believes that the new rules for the importation of drugs from abroad create opportunities for fraudsters, which will supply in Russia of poor-quality drugs, such as India. “With permission to trade drugs on the Internet is easy to spread,”— said the expert. Trade remedies in a network, according to the STADA Health Report, really expanded the number of customers of online pharmacies for the year (from spring 2019 spring 2020) in Russia increased by 12%.Anastasia Manuylova
