Thedomestic drug market rose by 24.2% in the first nine months of thisyear from a year ago and reached 7.3bn RON (1.7bn euros) ascalculated in terms of distributor prices, reveal the data providedby Cegedim Romania market research firm.
The market has had a good performance during the entire crisisperiod, but, against the second quarter sales posted a slightslowdown, so that it went from a 35% growth in that period, thepast year's record, to 20.4% in the third quarter.
Since the start of the year, the market has been mainly kept in theblack by the price increase approved by the Health Ministry onApril 1.
"While market values and increases are still attractive, we believethere are at least two major problems as regards the futuredirections of the market. On the one hand, payment terms topharmacies, accounting for almost 90% of the market, are long (morethan 6 months), so that we have commercial or financial loans worthover 1bn euros on the market (...) On the other hand, the lowerpublic support for some categories is pushing up patients'out-of-pocket expenses," said Petru Crăciun, Cegedim generalmanager.
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