As never before, sales of over-the-counter medications sharply increased in March of this year due to the declaration of the coronavirus pandemic. The most sought-after medications were those for lowering fever, pain relief, nasal sprays, and drops…
According to Ljerka Jurić Karoli, regional director of the Strategic Business Area Pharma, in the Farmacia pharmacy chain operating under Atlantic Group, sales of over-the-counter medications from March 11 to March 31, 2020, increased by 93 percent compared to the same period last year. The most sought-after were analgesics and antipyretics based on paracetamol, acetylsalicylic acid, and ibuprofen, as well as decongestant drops and nasal sprays.
Sales of over-the-counter medications also increased by about fifty percent in Joukhadar Pharmacies in March compared to the previous two months. Diana Percač, a member of the Management Board of Medical Intertrade, the company under which Joukhadar Pharmacies operate, emphasizes that the most sought-after were analgesics, antipyretics, and decongestants, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid as single-component medications or in combinations with other medications or vitamins.
In the City Pharmacy of Zagreb, demand for antipyretics and analgesics also increased significantly, with paracetamol and ibuprofen being the most sought-after. However, according to Tena Tarade, mag. pharm., in addition to analgesics and antipyretics, sales of antihistamines also rose; however, it should be noted that their sales traditionally increase during this period due to seasonal allergies. Nevertheless, the demand for these medications was short-lived and sharply declined in April and May. In Farmacia pharmacies, this decline was 15 percent, which was expected given the restrictive measures in place (limited movement, limited working hours, and entry into pharmacies and specialized stores, as well as the fact that stocks of these groups of medications were created in March).
