The results of development in the public sector of the Russian pharmaceutical market in 2019-2021

In 2020-2021, COVID-19 pandemic made a significant impact on the pharmaceutical market in developed countries as well as developing ones. Since 2019 the Russian pharmaceutical market has been demonstrating high growth rates in value terms with the main contribution made by the public (reimbursement) sector of the market.The goal was to study the main trends in the medicines consumption in the public sector of the Russian pharmaceutical market.Materials and methods. The analysis was based on IQVIA data, including preferential medicines supply (MS) for outpatients, MS for hospitalized patients, centralized federal MS programs, and other MS. The IQVIA data did not consider the use of COVID-19 vaccines.Results. In 2019-2021, the average annual growth rate of the public sector was 125.4% in value terms, which was determined by shifts in the consumption structure in favor of more expensive drugs. The main contribution to the positive dynamics was made by the hospital segment, share of which increased over the three years by 17 percentage points up to 45%. The dynamics of preferential MS programs lagged the general growth rates. The main impact on the market had made the following pharmacotherapeutic groups (according to ATC classification): anticancer drugs (groups L01, L02), immunosuppressants (L04), antivirals (J05), antithrombotics (B01), drugs for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (M09). The contribution of domestic-made production to the growth in value terms consisted of 38% over three years. Its share in the consumption structure increased by 2.4 percentage points up to 35.4%.Discussion. The prerequisites for the high dynamics of the public sector in 2019 was a significant increase in government healthcare spending, including the expansion of existing MS programs. In 2020-2021, the COVID-19 epidemic had the main impact on the volume and structure of medicines consumption, as well as an increase in funding and the launch of new MS programs. During the COVID-19 epidemic, the consumption of domestic-made drugs, including new original ones, has increased.Conclusion. As in other countries, in the coming years, the factor of controlling COVID-19 epidemic will no longer make a key impact on the dynamics of the Russian pharmaceutical market, while the expansion of reimbursed MS programs will especially being actual to the expected decline in household incomes.