This is the highest growth rate in a decade, coming after a 2020 in which access to healthcare was difficult, with many hospitals closed for other conditions not related to COVID-19.
At the consumer level, however, the market performed at a slower pace, with only 5% more packs reaching Romanian patients. Thus, last year, the volume of medical drugs dispensed was 658 million packs, the Pharma & Hospital Report by Cegedim shows. The company notes that this data estimates the outflow of products from pharmacies to patients, the calculation being made in pharmacy purchase prices.
The most purchased medicines in 2021 were those for the digestive system, more than 152 million packs that reached patients. A close second were cardiovascular drugs, with 148 million packs sold last year. Incidentally, the main cause of death in Romania is heart disease.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)