The cost of drugs in Russia

2018: A price comparison on popular drugs in different regions of the country

The pharmaceutical company "Bosnalek" announced on November 1, 2018 carrying out monitoring of cost of popular OTC medicines in different regions of the country.

Within the analysis the aggregate value of a conditional "medicinal basket" from 10 widely demanded OTC medicines was compared. Monitoring of monthly dynamics of the price was carried out on the basis of data of the research agency IQVIA on the average cost of medicines.

Were included in the list: Kardiomagnil, De Nol, Enterofuril, Essentsiale of N, Kagotsel, Lizobakt, Naftizin, Suprastin, Pentalgin and No-shpa. On average in the country the cost of such medicinal basket in August, 2018 was 3392 rubles, having fallen in price in comparison with August, 2017 by 221 rubles, i.e. almost for 7%.

According to Bosnalek company, the Volga and North Caucasian federal districts were absolute leaders in low prices — in each of them cost was lower than average approximately for 8%. In a ruble equivalent in North Caucasus federal district purchase of drugs turned out cheaper than an average for 258 rubles and for 528 rubles, than in the most expensive region. For comparison, as of 2017 the cost of a medicinal basket in the North Caucasus was approximately equal to average over the country.

Meanwhile, the prices appeared the highest in the Ural and Far East federal districts. In these regions the cost of medicines exceeded mean value for the same 8%. At the same time the difference of average cost of separate medicines was much higher. So, for example, on Pentalgin the average price in the Volga Federal District in August, 2018 is recorded at the level of the 143rd ruble, and on Far East — 188 rubles that makes about 27% of a difference, counted in the company.

Thus, according to Bosnalek version, the rating of regions at the average cost of popular medicines for August, 2018 looks as follows (from the district with the bottom prices to the district with expensive drugs):

• 1. Volga Federal District
• 2. North Caucasian Federal District
• 3. Southern Federal District
• 4. Central Federal District
• 5. Siberian Federal District
• 6. The Northwestern Federal District (without St. Petersburg)
• 7. St. Petersburg
• 8. Moscow
• 9. Far Eastern Federal District
• 10. Ural Federal District.

Reduction in cost of OTC medicines in retail — a natural trend of the last months on the Russian pharmaceutical market. Producers use all available resources on optimization of selling price of the products and also margins in commodity distribution network. These actions are directed to preserving of positive growth rates in the conditions of decrease in consumer capability of the population. For this reason the pharmaceutical market does not show considerable falling. But, considering that price elasticity is not boundless, and reserves of mechanisms of control of increase in prices can be exhausted already by the end of 2018, it is already not necessary to speak about former growth rates — the head of business division Eurasia of pharmaceutical company "Bosnalek" commented on data retrieveds of Valentin Buchnev.