Retail drug sales up 5% in 2005

Drug sales through retail pharmacies in 13 major markets grew 5% overall at constant exchange rates or 12% in US$ terms in the 12 months to December 2005, to total $366.62 billion, reports IMS Health's Retail Drug Monitor.

The fastest-growing market was Brazil, up 38% to $6.98 billion, while Argentina grew 13% to $2.04 billion and Mexico rose 12% to $7.48 billion. Overall, the Latin American market's three leading players grew 22%, far outstripping the performance of any of the other regions in the IMS Health study. The world's biggest drugs market, the USA, grew 4% to $182.71 or nearly half of the 13 countries' total market. Also in North America, the Can-adian market rose 14% to $11.98 billion.

Europe's largest drug market was also the fastest growing in 2005: Germany rose 8% to $24.74 billion. Europe's top five markets rose 4% overall to $89.49 billion, with the Spain up 6% at $10.85 billion and France ahead 5% to $22.41 billion. Italy was flat at $14.50 billion. The UK saw a drop of 4%, the only market fall observed by IMS Health, to $14.99 billion. Australia and New Zea-land combined grew 7% to $5.68 billion while Japan, where IMS includes hospital sales in its audit, rose 7% to $60.27 billion.