Drug prices in Russia are rising 3.5 times faster than inflation - intelligence
Kyiv • UNN
In January-August 2025, the average price of a drug package in Russia increased by 13.6% to 416 rubles, which is almost 3.5 times higher than the overall inflation rate. This led to a 2.3% decrease in sales in packages, while in monetary terms they increased by 11% to 1.1 trillion rubles.
In Russia, medicines are rapidly becoming more expensive, already outpacing the overall inflation rate by almost 3.5 times. Thus, in January-August 2025, the average price of a package of medicine increased to 416 rubles – 13.6% more than last year, UNN reports with reference to the Foreign Intelligence Service.
Details
According to intelligence data, the TOP of the most expensive medicines:
– Ketorol – by 30%;
– Naphazoline – by 25%;
– Drotaverine (trade name "No-shpa") – by 15%;
– Corvalol – by 14%;
– Analgin and Enalapril – by 13%;
– Ibuprofen and Citramon – by 12%.
Against the backdrop of the price shock, sales in packages decreased by 2.3%, while in monetary terms, on the contrary, they increased by 11%, to 1.1 trillion rubles. This means: Russians buy less, but are forced to pay more. Given this, proposals from State Duma deputies are already being heard to allow Russians to buy pills individually, rather than in packages – to reduce treatment costs
According to intelligence, it is obvious that no price reduction is predicted.
The Russian pharmacy market is increasingly controlled by the three largest chains – "Rigla", "Aprel" and "Planeta Zdorovya", which already cover more than 30% of the market. All three chains are integrated into the Russian government system: through state orders, political contacts or family ties with high-ranking officials. In addition, the owner of "Planeta Zdorovya" pharmacies is Oleksandr Vinokurov, son-in-law of Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov
Russian pharmaceuticals found themselves in a situation where medicines are becoming less and less accessible to the population, and the market is becoming more and more monopolized, the intelligence service summarized.