This year, the rather modest dynamics in monetary terms (rubles) demonstrated by the Russian pharmaceutical retail was in fact positive only due to price increases. The dynamics in physical terms, especially of over-the-counter drugs and parapharmaceuticals, continues to drop, which has become nearly common. In addition to stagnating household incomes, the non-pharmacy segment, which systematically steals consumers from conventional pharmacies, is also a significant problem. Online marketplaces are actively increasing in number as well, and foreign players are also trending. In particular, American iHerb announced their plans to open an office in Moscow, which is hardly good news for the Russian pharmaceutical retail.

63% of doctors have experienced inappropriate patient behavior, according to an online survey by the RNC Pharma analyst company and the Doktor Na Rabote (Doctor at Work) social network for doctors. Another 32% admitted that rude patients have already become nearly common.

The Russian pharmaceutical market is developing extremely unevenly in both individual market segments and specific product groups this year. Due to significant cash injections into the public sector, the dynamics in this segment is very different from that in the pharmaceutical retail.

The problem of statistical distortion on morbidity and mortality has more than once become the subject of discussion at the highest level. In particular, in mid-October 2019, at a meeting of the presidium of the Presidential Council on Strategic Development and National Projects, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev promised to take harsh measures against the leaders of the regions in which statistics are distorted.

Between January and September 2019, Russia manufactured 295 bln RUB worth of pharmaceutical drugs (manufacturers’ prices, VAT included), which is monetary terms (rubles) 22% higher than that in the same period in 2018. This is also the highest dynamics since 2016. The dynamics in physical terms (units) are +4.7%, or +4.2% if calculated in minimum dosage units (MDU). While these dynamics are far from those in 2016, these can still be considered high after the constant negative dynamics during 2017-2018.

17% of doctors believe that it is time that online sale of pharmaceutical drugs in Russia became legal, since it is not only convenient for consumers, but has long been an objective reality that cannot be ignored, according to an online survey by the RNC Pharma analyst company and the Doktor Na Rabote (Doctor at Work) social network for doctors.

Unfortunately, the current situation in the N.N. Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center with possible numerous resignations of doctors is far from rare.

Russian doctors are not only professionals, but also highly erudite people. The vast majority of the respondents in an online survey by the RNC Pharma analyst company and the Doktor Na Rabote (Doctor at Work) social network for doctors consider it impossible to remove Latin from curriculum or reduce the hours in medical universities. In addition to half-joking reasons, such as “to swear in the presence of strangers” or “to learn Gaudeamus”, the doctors note the importance of “professional community”, “friend / foe criteria”, the need to “soften the diagnosis for relatives”, etc.

In early September, Pharmacy Chain 36.6 announced a new project involving medical offices in pharmacies. These offices will be equipped in accordance with the therapeutic activity license, so that customers will be able to receive qualified medical care. The RNC Pharma analyst company, together with the Doktor Na Rabote (Doctor at Work) social network for doctors, conducted on online survey to find out under what conditions a doctor can consider working in those medical offices.

Between January and August 2019, Russia produced 255.8 bln RUB worth of pharmaceutical drugs (manufacturers’ prices, VAT included), which is in monetary terms (rubles) 20.2% higher than that of the same period in 2018. In physical terms, the dynamics are +4.5%, with the production volume of 2.83 bln units. If calculated in minimum dosage units (MDU), the dynamics are +3.5%, with the production volume of 47 bln MDUs.