In 2007, the Central and Eastern European market of over-the-counter (OTC) products was worth some €7.4bn, up by approx. 16% year on year in euro terms. According to our estimates, in 2010 the market may be worth almost €12bn, and Romania, Russia and Ukraine are set to develop at the fastest pace in the region.

Russia the largest market in the region
Russia is the largest OTC market in the region of Central and Eastern Europe, as it generates almost a half of the CEE market by sales. The second-largest market is Poland, which accounts for more than one-fifth of all OTC sales in CEE. Significantly, the Czech OTC market, with a share in the CEE OTC market of 6%, is one of the most developed markets in the region – despite the fact that the Czech Republic has a similar population to Hungary, the Czech OTC market is approx. €100m larger than the Hungarian one.

Over the next three years, we expect the market to grow 15-18% annually to reach almost €12bn in 2010. “The main growth drivers will be the increasing wealth of the societies in the analysed countries and changing life styles, which are prompting people to take greater care of their health and appearance.” Monika Stefanczyk, the co-author of the report, explained.

Analgesics to grow dynamically in Russia and Romania
Russia is the largest analgesics market in Central and Eastern Europe, although analgesics generate only 15% of the Russian OTC drugs market, in comparison to 27% in Poland, for example. "The low share of analgesics in the Russian market is one of the reasons for the forecast rapid growth of this category in Russia over the coming three years, reaching the CAGR for the years 2008-2010 of 24%." Agnieszka Stawarska, the co-author of the report, added.

In Romania, which has a 6% share in the CEE analgesics market, this category is also to grow at the second-fastest rate in the region – 15% over the next three years, on average. In Romania, the incidence of pain in the population is quite low, i.e. 34% in comparison to the CEE average of 39%; however, over 20% of the society suffer from frequent headaches, which is one of the highest shares in the region. In Romania there is also a high incidence of wrist or head pain as well as ankle or foot pain.

In Poland, which has a 27% share in the CEE analgesics market, this category already has a strong position on the local market, as the largest category of OTC drugs. Therefore, the market, which is quite saturated, is expected to grow by around 10% on average between 2008 and 2010.

More information on the OTC market in Central and Eastern Europe can be found in PMR Publications’ latest report, "OTC market in Central and Eastern Europe. Comparative analysis and development forecasts 2008-2010."

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