24-27 November 2026Crocus Expo, Pavilion 2, Moscow
RU
Rising market value, transformation in the retail and public procurement segments, as well as changes in the HR and regulatory environment, all these factors require special attention from both pharmaceutical industry participants and organizations that actively monitor market developments. At Pharmtech & Ingredients 2026, participants will discuss how these trends will affect the future of the Russian pharmaceutical market.
Pharmaceutical Market Growth: Results of 2025
In 2025, the total volume of the drug market in Russia has increased significantly. According to DSM Group, retail sales amounted to 1.89 trillion rubles, which is 16% more than in 2024. This growth is due not only to an increase in sales volumes, but also to changes in the structure of consumption. Analysts note that both retail sales and public procurement of medicines remain the key driver.
Total sales in packages amounted to 4.93 billion, an increase of 2% compared to 2024. This indicates a growing demand for drugs in the pharmacy segment, while the share of federal pharmacy chains has increased significantly.
Imported original drugs in the upper price segment are experiencing double pressure. On the one hand, due to logistics, the complication of supply chains, the introduction of parallel imports and the need to work through third countries increase the cost of distribution and reduce its reliability. The second factor is regulatory: pricing for drugs from the list of vital and essential drugs is strictly regulated, which, with an increase in operating costs, reduces the margins of distributors and pharmacy chains.
As a result, pharmacy chains are increasingly replacing imported originals in the recommendations of pharmacists not out of ideology, but out of economic logic. The margin of the generic is higher, the relationship with the domestic supplier is more reliable, which means that it is necessary to revise pricing and partnership strategies in the Russian market for foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Pharmaceutical Market Trends
Consolidation and mergers in distribution 2025 showed a slowdown in the pace of consolidation in the distribution sector. After rapid growth in 2023, the competition for leadership has intensified significantly. The gap between the first two market players at the end of 9 months was only 0.1%. This calls into question the further development of independent distributors, who are forced to look for new ways to survive in an environment of increased competition.
Increase in public procurement Public procurement continued to grow, with growth (+16%) significantly outpacing growth in the commercial pharmacy segment (+11%). However, in 2026, only a slight budget increase of 1% is expected, and spending cuts are planned for key federal projects such as oncology, CVD and diabetes.
The boom in the construction of pharmacies, which has been observed over the past ten years, has ended. According to analysts, the number of pharmacies has stabilized at the level of 82-83 thousand, which demonstrates a slowdown in the growth of this segment.
Price segments and a decrease in the availability of cheap drugs In recent years, against the backdrop of rising prices, there has been a "washout" of cheap drugs from pharmacy shelves. In 2025, only 3% of drugs up to 100 rubles were in value terms. This, in turn, forces pharmacy chains to rethink the assortment, focusing on more expensive drugs.
Growth of online booking One of the striking trends of 2025 is the growth in the share of sales through advance online booking. This channel is developing twice as fast as the general market, which creates new challenges for traditional offline pharmacies. Marketplaces also began to actively compete with pharmacies for the segment of dietary supplements, increasing the number of assortments at times.
Decrease in innovation activity In 2025, the production of new molecules and brands decreased significantly. The share of new imported INNs was only 20%, which calls into question the availability of innovative drugs for Russian patients in the future.
Important challenges: personnel crisis and the dietary supplements market
The personnel problem remains one of the most pressing for the pharmaceutical industry. According to statistics, 30% of pharmacy employees do not have special education, which is a serious threat to the quality of service and drug supply. The situation is exacerbated by the cancellation of distance education from March 2026, which creates additional difficulties for the training of specialists.
The market for dietary supplements continues to develop, despite the lack of full control over their quality, especially on marketplaces. The key challenge is the mass sale of unregistered goods, which poses risks to the health of consumers. Pharmacies remain the main channel for the sale of safe and certified supplements, although competition with online resources continues to grow.
The state of the pharmaceutical market at the beginning of 2026
According to the Monthly Retail Audit of the Russian Pharmaceutical Market by DSM Group, the volume of the commercial pharmaceutical drug market in January 2026 amounted to 158.8 billion rubles (in retail prices), which is 15.7% higher than in January 2025.
In physical units, the volume of sales of medicines in January amounted to 354.7 million packages, which is 3.2% more than in January 2025.
In January, the distribution of sales by localization changed in favor of localized drugs by 1.5% in rubles and in favor of imported drugs by 0.6% in packages compared to the first month of the previous year. Localized drugs prevailed in the physical volume of the market — 67.4% at the end of the month and amounted to 52.1% of the value of the pharmaceutical pharmacy market.
When considering the absolute indicators in rubles, we can note a high increase in sales of both imported drugs (+12.1%) and localized drugs (+19.2%). In physical terms, both categories also show positive dynamics: sales of imported drugs increased by 5.2%, sales of localized drugs – by 2.2%.
Further forecast for 2026 from experts: consolidation as a survival strategy
Forecasts for 2026 suggest a slowdown in the growth rate of the pharmaceutical market. It is expected that the growth of the commercial segment will be 10-12%, while public procurement will grow by only 3-4%. This is due to several systemic challenges, including a high level of tax burden and competitive pressure from federal pharmacy chains and marketplaces.
In such conditions, for most small and medium-sized business players, the consolidation of resources will become one of the main ways to survive. The growth of partner networks and active participation in self-regulatory organizations (SROs) is predicted.
The Russian pharmaceutical market showed growth in 2025, but the future will depend on the industry's ability to adapt to new conditions. Consolidation, improving operational efficiency, and developing a customer-centric approach are key strategies for survival in 2026.
Pharmtech & Ingredients 2026: A Platform for Industry Dialogue
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The 28th International Exhibition Pharmtech & Ingredients will be held on November 24–27, 2026 at the Crocus Expo IEC (Pavilion 2, Moscow). The largest industry event in Russia and the EAEU will bring together manufacturers, suppliers of equipment and raw materials, regulators and investors into a single space for technology exchange and partnerships.
The business program will cover issues related to the entire production cycle: from the procurement of substances and raw materials to modern packaging technologies and logistics of finished products, from GMP requirements to digital solutions for quality control.
Sources:
// TASS
// People of Pharma
// GxP News
// Association of Independent Pharmacies
// RNC Pharma
// Marketing Union "SOZVEZDIE"
// DSM Group
