The demand for medicines in Russia has grown 15 times over the past few months, the Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said on the Vesti program on the Russia 1 TV channel.
For exactly how long this growth was noted, the official did not specify. “There was a sharp increase in consumption – 15 times. In June, we understood and assumed, we foreseen a doubling of volumes. But, of course, no one expected a 15-fold increase,” Manturov said.
According to him, the situation in pharmacies is currently improving due to the efforts of manufacturers, who were forced to increase production volumes.
In October, it became known about a shortage of some types of drugs, mainly antibiotics and antiviral drugs, in some regions. Experts associated the situation with the need to label drugs, but later it turned out that the main reason was the rush demand.
In early November, by order of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, a federal center for providing citizens with medicines was created in Russia. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, in turn, was instructed to monitor the state of affairs in the regions.