Portugal "To Show Fastest OTC Growth To 1999"

While the USA will retain is position as the world's largest market for self-medication products in 1999, with sales in that year of $12.5 billion, the fastest growth in 1994-99 will be in the Portuguese market, which will experience a compound annual growth rate of 13.1%, says the new OTCinsight 1995-99 study of 13 leading markets, published by SelfMedication International, a division of IMS International.

Higher than average CAGR will also be seen for Germany, with sales up 10.5% to a total of $5.35 billion, and for Italy, rising 10.2% to $1.47 billion. By 1999, self-medication products as a share of the total pharmaceutical market will also be at their highest in germany, at 25.7%, considerably ahead of Canada, next-highest at 19.8%. The study says overall market growth to 1999 will be driven mainly by volume, except in a few countries where price will be a major contributing factor. These markets will include mexico, with a forecast price growth CAGR of 5.1%, Portugal with 4.3% and France and Italy, both with 4.0%.

Looking at the leading therapeutic categories in each market, the report notes that pain relief products are currently the leading self-medication category in five markets, namely Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Canada and the USA, followed by cough/cold remedies as the leaders in Austria, Portugal, the UK and Mexico. Circulatory treatments are top in France, while the German market is led by vitamins and minerals, digestive remedies dominate in Italy and tonics top the market in Japan. In 1999, the report forecasts that pain relief will still be the leading self-medication therapy worldwide, followed by cough/cold remedies, vitamins and mineral products, digestive remedies and then tonics.