In total, in Q1 2026, 1.2 billion packages of finished medicinal products worth RUB 502.2 billion (at retail prices, including VAT) were sold on the Russian retail market (including the online channel with delivery to consumers and the new regions). Drug consumption in physical terms decreased by 5.8% (in packages) during this period, while spending increased by 7.7%. The most sought-after dosage form in pharmaceutical retail remains tablets, with drugs in this form accounting for about 47% of all Russian spending; specifically, based on Q1 2026 results, this figure stood at 46.5% in rubles. Interestingly, the main volume is provided by film-coated tablets — nearly half of all physical demand and 65% of all spending on tablets. In second place in terms of popularity is the segment of various liquid dosage forms (drops, solutions, etc.) for external, internal, and parenteral use. Based on Q1 2026 results, they account for 12.8% of sales. It is worth noting that this category exhibits a clear downward trend, with its role having noticeably diminished in recent years. Capsulated forms hold a similar share of total retail monetary sales (about 11.5%), while another 6.2% comes from various soft forms (ointments, creams, gels, etc.). Finally, about 19% of the total retail market is accounted for by other dosage forms, including ampoules, suppositories, aerosols, and others.

According to the "Retail Audit of Drug Sales in Russia (total sell out)" from the analytical company RNC Pharma, an analysis of the market structure from 2022 through early 2026 showed that most categories of dosage forms maintain their shares almost unchanged, demonstrating high market stability. However, some changes indicate a shift in interest toward more technologically advanced solutions, which is partly due to changes in demand and partly to issues of convenience in using certain drugs. The most notable process is the rapid development of the pre-filled syringe segment, whose share has increased nearly fourfold over four years — from a modest 1.1% in 2022 to a quite substantial 4.2% by Q1 2026.

This growth is primarily driven by the explosive increase in demand for certain new drugs, particularly in the group of antidiabetic drugs, which already account for nearly 84% of all monetary value in the pre-filled syringe category. The key players here are the brands Tirzetta (Promomed) and Semavik (Geropharm): total consumer spending on just these two brands in January–March of this year exceeded RUB 10.4 billion. Moreover, both companies have released five trademarks in pre-filled syringe form over the past three years. It is worth noting that previously, antithrombotic drugs played a dominant role here, accounting for about 15% in rubles of this dosage form in 2022, with the main share held by Clexane (Sanofi). During the reporting period, this group of drugs accounted for just 3.4%.

Fig. Structure of the Russian Retail Drug Market by Dosage Form in 2022–2025 and Q1 2026, % RUB