Russia has seen a shift in drug consumption patterns in favour of generics, according to analytics firm Points Health.
“We are not just seeing a rise in the share of generics, but a structural change in the market. In several categories, this is no longer competition but effectively a change in the consumption model,” said Daria Solovyova, the company’s chief executive.
Cardiology and gastroenterology are the two key areas where generics have practically displaced original drugs, according to the firm’s analysts. The most notable shift has occurred in the atorvastatin and omeprazole categories, they said. This is because generics are three to five times cheaper. Availability also plays an important role: generics in cardiology and gastrointestinal categories are present in 80–90% of pharmacies, while original drugs are found in only 40–55%.
Original drugs are also losing ground in the painkiller, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and antibiotic segments, the analysts said.
“Pharmacies are not making a strategic decision to ‘displace the original’,” Solovyova said. “They simply work with what sells faster and has a stable supply. In that sense, generics win thanks to operational efficiency.”
But there are categories where originals still dominate, the analysts stressed. Oncology is one such example.
Earlier, GxP News reported that the share of imported drugs on the Russian market in value terms fell by 2.4 percentage points in 2025, to 65.1%.
