Sales of pharmaceuticals in Romania, down 16.6% in June

The sales of medicines decreased by 16.6% in June 2020 compared to the same month of 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to market research company Cegedim.

The issue of patients having been neglected or not treated because most of the resources are concentrated in fighting the coronavirus pandemic has been circulated recently, and the figures come to support this scenario.

"In June, the sales contracted by 16.6% in year-on-year terms, in units (boxes) terms. For the first six months of the year, the sales declined by -6.26%. In rolling year terms, the sales in July 2019 - June 2020 decreased by 5% compared to the previous 12-month period. We will come out of the pandemic much sicker than we entered," commented Dragos Damian, head of the largest local drug producer, Terapia Cluj.

One of the reasons for the significant decrease in June 2020 compared to the same month last year is that people no longer reach pharmacies and hospitals in the current context, Ziarul Financiar daily commented.

The pharmaceuticals market in Romania reached RON 17.8 bln (EUR 3.67 bln) in 2019, 10% more than in 2018, according to Cegedim.

(Photo source: Pexels.com)