IHS Global Insight Perspective | |
Significance | Sales of parallel-imported products in Poland shot up by 89% to reach 80.3 million zloty (US$21.9 million) in 2008, which corresponds to a 0.5% share of the country’s overall pharmaceutical market. |
Implications | Growth was fuelled by the fact that the number of drugs authorised for parallel import more than doubled in 2008. The price of parallel-imported drugs is reported to be between 10-60% cheaper than official versions of the product. |
Outlook | Until recently, it was looking likely that the sharp rise in sales of parallel-imported products would continue. However, the steep decline in the value of the zloty has prompted parallel importers to increase their prices, and may force them to stop selling certain drugs. |
According to Pharma Poland News, which cited IMS Health as its source, parallel-imported products now account for a 0.5% share of Poland’s pharmaceutical market. Meanwhile, in volume terms, sales of parallel-imported products soared by as much as 109% in 2008 to reach 4.9 million units—which correspond to 0.32% of total wholesale sales to pharmacies.
The number of companies that have received authorisation to operate as parallel importers of specific drugs in Poland currently stands at 19, of which three are importers of veterinary products. However, only around half of these companies are currently operating, and the leading five players account for 92% of sales by value. These players are reported to be Blau Pharma, Delfarma, Forfarm, InPharm and Inter Pharma.
The most popular parallel-imported drugs in Poland are the analgesic Aspirin C, the contraceptive Cilest, the circulatory remedy Detralex and the respiratory drug Eurespal.
Number of Authorisations for Parallel Imports More than Doubled in 2008
According to Pharma Poland News, figures from the Polish Medicines Registration Office (URPL) reveal that, in recent years, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of authorisations for parallel imports of drugs into Poland. Thus, in 2004, the URPL authorised just two parallel-imported drugs; but the number of new authorisations rose to 80 in 2007 and then 165 in 2008 (see table), bringing the total number of authorised products up to 350.
Meanwhile, the number of applications for parallel imports of drugs has risen from 16 in 2004 to 456 in 2008. URPL notes that, in cases where it refuses applications, this is normally because the product’s marketing authorisation has expired in its country of origin. The main originating countries are reported to be Greece, the Czech Republic, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Hungary and Portugal.
Poland: Number of Authorisations for Parallel-Imported Drugs 2004-08 | |
Year | Number of Authorisations |
2004 | 2 |
2005 | 40 |
2006 | 63 |
2007 | 80 |
2008 | 165 |
Source: Pharma Poland News based on URPL figures | |
Retail Prices of Parallel-Imported Drugs are 10-60% Lower than Official Versions
According to Poland’s association of parallel drug importers, SIRPL, the retail price of parallel-imported drugs is typically 10-60% less than that of the official versions of the drugs. Seven parallel-imported products have in fact made their way onto Poland’s reimbursement list, and these products sell for 30% less than official versions. SIRPL’s president Tomasz Dzitko—who is also CEO of Delpharma—reports that over the years Polish patients have made cumulative savings of 30 million zloty since the introduction of parallel-imported drugs in 2004.
Outlook and Implications
The sharp increase in sales of parallel-imported drugs had led SIRPL to predict that parallel imports could raise their share of Poland’s overall pharmaceutical market to as much as 2% within the next few years. However, the continuing sharp decline in the value of the zloty relative to the euro and U.S. dollar has prompted parallel importers to raise the price of their products, and so their competitiveness has been reduced. Moreover, parallel importers now fear that they may have to suspend imports of some of their products if the current exchange rate trends continue.
Related Articles
- Poland: 4 November 2008: AstraZeneca to Implement DTP Scheme in Poland
- Poland: 8 August 2008: Parallel Importers Urge Facilitated Drug Reimbursement in Poland