Sales of antitumor drugs in the retail segment of the Russian pharmaceutical market

Abstract

Objective: to study the features of the population consumption of antitumor drugs (ATDs) of groups L01 and L02 according to the anatomical, therapeutic and chemical classification (ATC), purchased at the expense of personal funds of citizens in the retail sector of the pharmaceutical market of the Russian Federation (RF).Material and methods. We analyzed data on the range of ATDs sold in retail pharmacies in all federal districts of the RF in 2020–2023. The methods of comparative, retrospective, logical, graphical and content analysis, the method of grouping data by ATC groups and methods of descriptive statistics were used.Results. At the end of 2022, in the RF, about 6 million packages of ATDs worth 6.5 billion rubles were purchased at the expense of citizens’ personal funds, i.e. approximately 1/6 of the total sales of oncology medications in monetary terms and 3.0% of the total sales in physical terms. The maximum sales in monetary terms per 100 thousand population were noted in the Central, Northwestern and Southern Federal Districts. The Central Federal District accounts for about 50% of total sales of ATDs in monetary terms and 35% of sales in physical terms. The maximum costs were for medications in ATC groups L01B Antimetabolites, L02A Hormones and related compounds and L02B Hormone antagonists and related compounds. The average shares of ATDs in the ATC group L01B were 32.8% in total sales in monetary terms and 50.8% in physical terms, in the ATC group L02B – 27.3% and 31.9%, L02A – 21.8% and 5.7%, L01X – 8.9% and 7.9%, respectively. In the RF as a whole, the top-3 international nonproprietary names of greatest demand in the pharmaceutical market retail segment included methotrexate, buserelin and anastrozole, which account for more than 40% of sales volume in monetary terms.Conclusion. The obtained results can be used by healthcare organizers to clarify the real need for ATDs, as well as to improve drug care for cancer patients.