Retail drug sales in year to August 2008

Retail pharmacy drug sales in 13 major markets during the 12 months to August 2008 have reached $438.8 billion, reports IMS Health's Retail Drug Monitor. Since the June results (Marketletter August 18), the UK remains the only country to experience negative growth for the second month running (Marketletter September 22). The fastest-expanding region continues to be Australia and New Zealand, with a combined market of $8.1 billion, up 11%, though this is a dip from 12% in previous IMS data.

The leading nations in the Latin American market grew 9%, unchanged since May. Sales in the three Latin countries reached $24.5 billion. Argentina remains the fastest-expanding market surveyed by IMS, with year-on-year growth at 20% to $3.0 billion. Brazil holds to a steady and vigorous 10% advance, the second-fastest for any single country covered in the survey, reaching $12.5 billion. Mexico slid another percentage point, for a rate of 4% to $8.9 billion, having been at 6% earlier in the year.