The trend of consolidating consumer medication packages has continued on the Russian retail market for the fourth year, according to analysts at RNC Pharma.
According to their data, in 2025, 4.93 billion packages of medicinal products were sold in retail, including online sales, amounting to 1.89 trillion rubles. The dynamics of consumption in physical terms showed an increase of +1.8%, while in minimum dosage units (MDU) it increased by +4.8%. “This difference is explained by the consistent shift of consumers towards purchasing packages with a larger number of single doses. While in 2022, each package of medication sold in Russian pharmacies contained an average of 19.3 units (tablets, capsules, ampoules, etc.), by the end of 2025, this figure had risen to 20.5,” the report notes.
Consumers are choosing larger packages to save money, as they are significantly cheaper when calculated per single dose. This is particularly important for patients requiring long-term or continuous treatment.
This “consolidation” trend is occurring in all regions except Chechnya and Ingushetia. Last year, the largest medication packages were purchased by residents of Karelia (22.9 MDU), the Tambov Region (22.3), and the Bryansk Region (21.9). “In addition to economic factors, the indicator of package fragmentation in purchases depends on the overall development of the pharmacy infrastructure. It is obvious that Muscovites find it much easier to find a pharmacy within walking distance than residents of Karelia, which also influences the format of purchases made,” the analysts concluded.