Romanians Pour EUR 4 Billion a Year into Pills

Romanians bought more than EUR 4 billion worth of pills last year. The sales of medication on the Romanian pharmaceutical market registered a 17% increase in 2021, reaching a total of EUR 4.24 billion, according to market research company Cegedim, cited by ZF.

Romanians’ chase for pills

The reason for this chase began after the pandemic of the COVID-19 started in 2020; patients with other conditions were denied access to hospitals and doctors, particularly during periods of restriction. In this case, the Romanians coped with the situation crossing the thresholds of pharmacies and leaving a significant amount of money to get their treatment; the more expensive, the better.

However, at the level of consumption, the market grew at a slower rate. According to ZF, the market has registered a 5% increase in the number of boxes sent to Romanian patients. As a result, 658 million packages of drugs were delivered last year.

What pills do Romanians buy?

Digestive system drugs are among the most purchased in 2021, with over 152 million drugs reaching patients in this segment. Cardiovascular drugs come second, with 148 million boxes sold last year. As Ziarul Financiar reported, regarding pharmaceutical companies, the most prominent companies by value in 2021 were Sanofi, Novartis and Zentiva. In volume, two companies with local factories are in the first two positions – Zentiva and Sun Pharma.

But not only pills do Romanians buy. Also, supplements are more and more requested. The CEO of an important Romanian producer of supplements for diabetes confirms this.

The supplements market is growing. We offer an alternative to drugs and pills to all those who want to speed up recovery or to help the medical treatment even more.

Our industry grew over the last years and supplements are more and more requested by patients. It’s not only because the market is more educated, but it is also because supplements do help the healing process or even prevent some diseases. Either way, our clients are satisfied with the quality and the effects of the supplements we provide.

Bogdan Radu, CEO Biokraft Romania

For many years to come, Romania is and will be an important market for the Pharma industry. Not only that, but Romanians will always be adopters of self-medication. This is the perfect combination for an industry worth billions.

Instead of worrying about how dangerous it can be to take pills without a medical consult and how they can change their lifestyle, Romanians choose the most straightforward path to cure or treat a medical condition – taking pills. Romanians get ill due to an unhealthy lifestyle, low quality food, and lack of physical exercise. Although the pandemic did not allow many to seek medical advice, Romanians should be more oriented toward a more healthy and active lifestyle.