OREANDA-NEWS. In March 2022, spending by Russians on medicines increased by 2.6 times compared to the same period last year. According to the data of the Chestny Znak digital marking system, the country's residents have stocked up on drugs worth 132 billion rubles, Izvestia reports. The increase in demand provoked an increase in sales in real terms by 98.15%. At the same time, Xylometazoline nasal drops, Bisoprolol heart medicine, activated charcoal and Pancreatin, a digestive drug, became the sales leaders.

So, in March last year, Russians left 51 billion rubles in pharmacies, and this year their spending has grown by 160%. According to Revaz Yusupov, Deputy Director General of the Center for the Development of Advanced Technologies (CRPT), developer of the labeling system, 215 million packs of medicines were purchased in March last year, and this year already 427 million packs.

Against the backdrop of rush demand, the volume of sales in physical terms also increased by 98.15%, Yusupov explained.

Xylometazoline nasal drops became the most popular medicine among buyers, of which 18 million packs were bought, demand for them increased by 34% compared to last year. Most of all, the interest of Russians has grown in the cardiological drug "Bisoprolol". This year, pharmacies sold 8.8 million packs, three times more than last year. Also, the demand for activated carbon increased by 133%, for the digestive enzyme Pancreatin - by 119%, to 6.3 million packs.

Earlier, Andrei Skvortsov, a representative of the Patient Control movement, said that Russia lacks drugs to treat the thyroid gland. Also, according to him, it is difficult to find drugs for the treatment of coronavirus.