Kathmandu, June 8

Sales of medicines have declined significantly during the lockdown period.

According to the Association of Pharmaceutical Producers of Nepal (APPON), medicine sales have slumped by 94 per cent, while its orders have also plunged by 92 per cent during the lockdown period.

As per the association, sales of 88 per cent of vitamins and minerals have declined during the lockdown period. Likewise, sales of 86 per cent of medicines related to gynaecology have dropped, while sales of 84 per cent of medicines related to dermatology have decreased during lockdown.

Similarly, sales of 82 per cent of antiinfective medicines, 78 per cent of gastrointestinal medicines, 67 per cent of medicines related to common cold and 59 per cent related to pain and analgesics have dropped in the market due to the lockdown.

Meanwhile, sales of medicines related to cardiac and anti-diabetes have declined by only 10 per cent.

According to APPON, people have not been visiting hospitals during the lockdown and are taking only their regular medicines. As a result, medicine sales have declined. Moreover, before the lockdown was imposed, most of the patients stocked the medicines they needed due to which sales have declined during the lockdown.

“Patients who have been consuming medicines on a regular basis for conditions like blood pressure, gastritis, diabetes and other general health problems had bought medicines before the lockdown,” explained Mrigendra Mehar Shrestha, president of Nepal Chemist and Druggist Association.

Moreover, people are hardly visiting hospitals at the moment and most are also resorting to home remedies for their ailments, hence sales have declined, he said.

“Most people are afraid to visit hospitals for minor problems at present due to the fear of contracting coronavirus and are also avoiding going to pharmacies,” Shrestha said.

During the initial days of the lockdown, there were fears that there would be a shortage of medicines and moreover India had also banned the export of a few drugs and also raw materials required to manufacture some medicines. However, the issue was resolved and currently medicines are being imported and produced as well, Shrestha said adding, “There is enough stock of medicines in the market but there is no demand.”

“All kinds of medicines are available in the market and there will be no shortage of medicines in the coming days too,” he stated.

Along with the drop in sales, producers have also reduced production during the lockdown.

“Market demand has declined drastically.

Orders that have already been placed have been delivered and we are rarely receiving new ones. So, producers have reduced their production,” said Santosh Baral, vice-president of APPON. He further said that producers are now manufacturing medicines only after receiving orders.

“It will be useless to produce medicines and store them for a long time as medicines have short shelf-life. So, producers are manufacturing medicines only after receiving orders. Otherwise, most of the factories have remained shut during the lockdown,”

Baral added.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 9, 2020, of The Himalayan Time