In total, in 2025, 4.93 billion packages of finished medicinal products were sold on the Russian retail market (including the online channel with delivery to the consumer and the new regions), amounting to RUB 1.89 trillion (at retail prices, including VAT). According to information from the "Retail Audit of Drug Sales in Russia (total sell out)" database of the analytical company RNC Pharma, the dynamics of consumption in physical terms showed an increase of +1.8% (in packages). However, when calculated in minimum dosage units (MDU), the growth rate was 4.8%. This discrepancy is explained by the steady trend of consumers switching to purchasing packages with a larger number of single doses. While in 2022 each package of medicinal products sold in Russian pharmacies contained 19.3 MDU (tablets, capsules, ampoules, etc.), by the end of 2025 this figure had risen to 20.5 MDU, and by the end of January 2025, it had already exceeded 20.9 MDU.

This shift in consumption patterns is linked to deliberate strategies by market participants and consumers, including trends towards economical consumption. Larger packages are significantly cheaper when calculated per single dose, which is a considerable factor for patients requiring long-term or continuous treatment. However, this process is not relevant for all therapeutic groups; moreover, it proceeds at different rates in specific regions of Russia. Essentially, the differences lie only in the fragmentation index and the dynamics of its change, while the overall direction is quite clear: in 88 regions of Russia, the process of consumer package consolidation is ongoing, with only two federal subjects exhibiting an opposite trend in 2025. Specifically, a decrease in the number of MDU per package compared to 2024 was recorded in the Chechen Republic and the Republic of Ingushetia. Both regions, however, are characterized by having one of the highest fragmentation indices for consumer packages; in 2025, each package sold there contained an average of 17.1 and 15.5 MDU, respectively.

At least 51 regions of Russia in 2025 had a consumer package fragmentation index above the national average. The largest packages were purchased by residents of the Republic of Karelia (22.9 MDU/package), Tambov Oblast (22.3), and Bryansk Oblast (21.9). Among the largest Russian regions, St. Petersburg can also be mentioned; here in 2025, each package contained an average of 21.1 MDU, placing the region in 22nd position in the overall ranking. Interestingly, neither Moscow nor the Moscow Region are among the regions with the largest consumer package formats. Each package of finished medicinal products sold in the capital contained an average of 20.2 MDU, and in the Moscow Region, 19.7 MDU. It is important to note that, besides purely economic factors, the fragmentation index of purchased packages is closely linked to the overall development of pharmacy infrastructure in specific regions. It is evidently easier for Muscovites to find a pharmacy within walking distance than for residents of the Republic of Karelia, which also influences the format of purchases made.