Prospects For OTC Growth In Central & Eastern Europe

By Mick Maroney, General Manager, Nicholas Hall Reports

Most immediately, the potential for non-prescription medicines in central and eastern Europe is concentrated among just a few states, notably Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Here, the conditions are beginning to favor the marketing of western-style over-the-counter products, even if market conditions still vary considerably from those in the West.

Outside these core states, an appreciable return on any investment does not appear likely short-term. In the case of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, as well as the former Yugoslavian states of Slovenia and Croatia, the problem lies simply with the insufficient mass mustered by small markets. This contrasts sharply with the Russian Federation, which presents a massive enough challenge but which by its nature tends to dissipate western attempts to open up consumer markets. Finally, the structural problems of the other former Yugoslavian states and of Bulgaria, Romania and the Ukraine preclude involvement by any other than the most optimistic of investors.