Total sales of sedatives in the country’s pharmacies between February 28 and March 6 are four times higher than a year earlier. This is due to the fact that Russians are stocking up on medicines in case of rising prices and shortages.
According to Kommersant, at the beginning of March in Russia there was an increased demand for antidepressants and sedatives, and at first it turned out to be ahead of any other category of drugs. Among prescription antidepressants, the best-selling drugs are imported.
The demand for anti-anxiety and over-the-counter sleeping pills from February 28 to March 6 also increased compared to 2021: for the former — by 34,7%, for the latter — by 80,8%. Moreover, it is characteristic that for the third year in early spring there has been an increase in sales of such drugs, and compared to 2019, the increase in 2022 is even more serious. In the past two years, this demand has been fueled by the coronavirus pandemic and the anxiety associated with it.
“[In late February — early March] the number of borderline states increased — anxious, anxious-depressive, asthenic. The number of complaints about anxiety, anxiety and depression has increased,” said Vyacheslav Filashikhin, chief physician of the Rosa Center for Psychiatry, Neurology and Narcology, in an interview with Kommersant.
Increased demand, according to experts, has already led to disruptions in the availability of antidepressants in retail. Such drugs are among those that are taken constantly, so the explosive demand is absolutely understandable. According to the CEO of DSM Group Sergey Shulyak, the general high nervousness of Russians affects, but there are also seasonal exacerbations of mental illness in patients.