Time to read: 7 minutes(s)

With the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the imposition of Western sanctions, foreign medications began to disappear from Russia. Social media has sparked talk of "pharmacy tourism"—traveling abroad to buy medications. We explain the truth behind these rumors and what's actually happening in the Russian pharmaceutical market.

"A friend was returning from a tourist trip to Istanbul, and I asked her to bring me some medication. My aunt had been prescribed hormonal pills that she had to take for the rest of her life. We went to pharmacies in the Rostov region, but we couldn't find any, only in Moscow. A bottle cost about 1000 rubles. When my friend told me that in Istanbul you could buy this medication for about 100 rubles a bottle (converted to rubles), I almost fell over in surprise and asked her to bring as much as she could," Alexandra says.

15 packages of the precious product cost her only 1500 rubles, but the main thing was that she could forget about the exhausting search for the drug for a while.

Indeed, Turkey is perhaps the most popular country for importing medicines, medical supplies, cosmetics, and dietary supplements. Spain and Italy are also well-known in this regard. While their pharmacies are said to have a wider selection, Turkey is much more affordable and accessible. Moreover, the quality of the medications is on par with European ones.

"I can't say that people travel specifically for medications. But if they're planning a vacation, they certainly stock up on medications. This has always been the case because there are no counterfeits in Turkey, and the medications are higher quality and cheaper," says Olga, a Russian woman who moved to Antalya from Russia nine years ago. "A friend of mine from Taganrog (Rostov Oblast) needed a hormonal IUD inserted. Her doctor recommended buying one in Turkey. Then she decided to check the cost. In Turkey, it's sold without a prescription and costs around 1000 lira (about 4 rubles). In Russia, it starts at 16 rubles."

However, there's no mention of pharmacy "tours" specifically. Travel agency representatives don't offer separate "tours" for medications. The Pharmacy Chain Association officially considers information about "pharmacy tours" unreliable.

"It's unlikely to be possible, and it hardly makes any sense. Especially since you can't buy pharmaceuticals in many countries without a prescription. Therefore, I think it's unlikely," Govorit Moskva quotes Alexander Filippov, head of the Coordinating Council of the Russian Association of Pharmacy Chains and CEO of the Rigla pharmacy chain, as saying.

But he's only partially right. Some medications in Turkey do require a prescription. These typically include psychotropic medications (which require a green prescription), narcotics (a red prescription), and antibiotics (a standard white prescription). Doctors prescribe these medications, and Turks tend to buy them with a prescription, as insurance companies cover part of the cost. However, most medications are available over-the-counter, and some pharmacies will accept a prescription from a Russian doctor, which is exactly what our compatriots take advantage of.

"They mainly buy medications for allergies, gastrointestinal diseases, painkillers, antivirals, and antidepressants—these are also often sold without a prescription," says Olga.

It's worth noting that, according to GroupDSM (a marketing agency specializing in research of the Russian pharmaceutical market – Ed.), these are the medications most in demand among Russians. At the same time, it is among these medications that the share of generics (copies of original medications based on the same active ingredient – ​​Ed.) has recently increased on the Russian market.

“The predominance of generic drugs remains significant – 71,2% in value terms and 87,2% in physical equivalent,” according to the GroupDSM report.

Half of all generic sales, the report states, are accounted for by medications affecting the digestive tract and metabolism, medications for respiratory diseases, and medications for nervous system disorders. This means you can buy either a Russian generic or a Turkish original. For many, the choice is clear.

We compared Turkish and Russian prices for some common medications—at the same dosage. Even with the recent slight decline of the lira against the ruble, prices in Turkey remain lower than in Russia.

Price difference

While medications, the prices of which don't differ significantly between Turkey and Russia, are often much cheaper in Turkish pharmacies than in Russian ones, vitamins, dietary supplements, and various homeopathic remedies are often much cheaper. But tourists flock here for more than just price.

"It's not even about the price," assures Sara, a pharmacy buyer from Antalya. "There are a lot of counterfeits in Russia. That's impossible in Turkey, especially if you buy directly from pharmacy warehouses. Prices have gone up by about 30% now. But quality is more important to customers."

There are a huge number of such individual buyers and entire companies engaged in the purchase and delivery of medications from Turkey to Russia. Vitamins, pharmaceutical cosmetics, dietary supplements, antivirals, and immunomodulators are in high demand.

"The quality is very different from ours. It's all about quality. There's no specific popular category; people order everything from vitamins to cancer drugs," says another, who wished to remain anonymous.

This business isn't illegal, but it's far from transparent as it seems at first glance. Vitamins and supplements are typically shipped via delivery services, most commonly SDEK. Delivery costs depend on the order's weight and the distance to the destination, but it's generally cheaper and faster than, for example, Russian Post. More serious medications are a different matter entirely.

The fact is that sending medications to or from Turkey by mail is prohibited. Customs regulations state that medications "for personal use" are permitted, but the exact quantity is not specified. Rumors circulating on social media suggest that 5-8 packs of one type of medication per person are allowed out of Turkey. Theoretically, luggage may be inspected, but in reality, this is almost never done. Furthermore, human error plays a significant role in Turkey, so if you're bringing legally permitted substances, you can always negotiate. However, "professional" "pharmacy" buyers try to protect themselves as much as possible.

"We ship medications by courier. Couriers deliver to Grozny (there are different cities for primary delivery of medications, — Ed.). From there, our partner handles further shipping. Typically, within Russia, we ship by mail, SDEK, or courier—whatever is most convenient for the client," explains Sarah.

Travelers in Turkey are much more willing to visit pharmacies than any colorful excursion.

"They come with entire lists from friends and relatives, and they buy the medications off the shelves. Some pharmacies have even recently hired Russian-speaking staff specifically for these tourists. Those with experience know that the best souvenir from Turkey isn't baklava and Turkish delight, but medications," the buyers conclude.

In Russia, medication prices continue to rise, while sales continue to decline. With the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions, the Russian pharmaceutical industry, like others, has begun to experience difficulties. According to GroupDSM research, the commercial pharmaceutical market in January 2023 amounted to 107,2 billion rubles. Compared to January of the previous year, sales decreased by 7,9%. In terms of units, drug sales in January decreased by 17,2% compared to December 2022. The Russian pharmaceutical market for dietary supplements also experienced a similar situation: in January 2023, this market decreased by 13,1% compared to the previous month.

Prices also increased: the average price per package in January increased by 1,3% compared to December, reaching 307,6 rubles. Meanwhile, the number of medications priced over 500 rubles increased by 5,2%, reaching 56,7% in January. Overall, locally produced medications increased in price by 13,1%, while imported medications increased by 15,5%.

According to the same report, Russia plans to expand domestic pharmaceutical production. A new production facility has opened in the Technopolis Moscow Special Economic Zone. It plans to manufacture medications for respiratory, musculoskeletal, and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as antimicrobials. A new pharmaceutical plant is also planned for St. Petersburg, with construction costs estimated at over 4 billion rubles.

It's worth noting that, against this backdrop, Russian Post has launched a pilot project to sell non-medicinal products. The health displays, which are scheduled to appear in post offices, feature over 80 products, including dietary supplements, vitamins, bandages, creams, and thermometers. The experiment is being conducted at 40 post offices in St. Petersburg and five other regions: Leningrad, Kaliningrad, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, and Vologda Oblasts.