Non-pharmacy market of OTC products in Poland in 2011-2013 - September 2011

According to our estimates, in 2009 the non-pharmacy market of OTC products (comprising medicines and dietary supplements) rose by around 11% year on year and exceeded PLN 1bn (€231m) for the first time on record. The year 2010 was a period of poorer growth for the pharmaceutical market as a whole, as reflected by developments in the nonpharmacy market which expanded by approx. 1%. Some of the reasons behind the poorer growth included a high base of comparison from the previous year and the entry into force of a new list of products admitted to trading in general stores in October 2009. The list did not bring in any revolutionary changes as the modifications mostly concerned the inclusion in the list of new package sizes and dosages of popular medicines. However, these changes only added to the diversification of brands available in non-pharmacy channels, but they did not boost the market’s value.