Local pharmacies and mail-order companies had experienced a veritable rush for certain OTC product groups in calendar weeks (calendar weeks 9 to 13), as an analysis by the management consultancy Sempora shows. Figures from data from Insight Health for the inpatient sector and from DatamedIQ for the mail-order sector show that OTC sales in inpatient pharmacies, at an average of 32 percent, were even higher than those of mail-order pharmacies, with an increase of only 14 percent. After that (weeks 13 to 16; shutdown), sales in this area in local pharmacies fell to 84 percent of the initial value in weeks 4 to 6; the mail-order business recorded 92 percent of the initial value. Antiseptics and disinfectants boomed the most. In stationary pharmacies, the values at peak times were 3.9 times the initial value. The mail-order business nevertheless recorded an increase of 79 percent. But even after the boom, the values are still above normal times at over 146 and 125 percent respectively. In local pharmacies, the proportion of prescriptions from their own production is not yet included. Immune preparations and vitamin C preparations were also sold in rows at the AGM. Here, sales had increased to 300 percent for a short time. Even the mail-order business recorded a 134 percent increase above normal levels, which has now been reached again. However, business in local pharmacies has since fallen 14 percent below the starting point. Antihistamines (anti-allergy drugs) have also increased by over 300 percent, but not corona-related, this increase is probably due to the allergic effects of pollen. Analgesics (painkillers) and sars-CoV-2 infection, on the other hand, must be considered in close connection. The values here were increased by 80 percent during the peak sales period. Many customers have also purchased painkillers and antipyretics as a preventive measure. The mail-order companies recorded stability thereafter, while local pharmacies suffered losses to 75 percent of the initial value. Disinfectants and cosmetics for hand and nail care are also closely related. Anyone who disinfects a lot gets dry hands and has to apply creams, hence the boom only in this cosmetics category with a doubling of sales. Cold remedies have also gone well. These include expectorants (cough; expectorant), sore throats (see also analgesics), flu preparations and rhinologics (remedies against colds) as well as inhalers. It is not possible to determine whether 50 to 80 percent of the increase is seasonal or due to the Covid-19 crisis. However, according to the statistics, a decrease of 30 to 50 percent of the normal initial value can be observed after week 13. Other OTC preparations of various categories are negligible due to comparatively stagnating or slightly increasing numbers.
