Statistics on veterinary medicines

Overview of Estonian Veterinary Medicinal Products Market

Veterinary drug statistics is based on wholesaler’s reports. The statistics of veterinary medicinal products includes sales to general and veterinary pharmacies, veterinarians and to other institutions.

WHOLESALERS

In 2020, 8 wholesalers sold veterinary medicines to veterinarians, to general and veterinary pharmacies and to other institutions. Three major wholesalers covered 94% of the total veterinary medicinal products market: Zoovetvaru OÜ (49%), Magnum Veterinaaria AS (33%) and Dimedium AS (12%). The total veterinary market share of the other wholesalers remained under 6%.

VETERINARY MEDICINAL PRODUCTS MARKET

The veterinary medicinal products market is expressed in wholesale prices, which includes the price of the manufacturer and wholesaler’s mark-up and does not include the VAT.

In 2020 the veterinary medicinal products market increased 9.8%, reaching to 16.01 million euros.

Figure 1. Estonian veterinary products market in 2016–2020

VETERINARY MEDICINAL PRODUCTS MARKET SHARE

Sales to the veterinary doctors or to the agricultural companies represented by veterinary doctor covered 91% (14.6 million euros) of the total veterinary medicinal products market in 2020. Over 6% (0.9 million euros) of veterinary medicines were sold to the general pharmacies and 2.5% (0.4 million euros) to the veterinary pharmacies. Sales to the other institutions were 0.4% (0.07 million euros).

Figure 2. Sales of veterinary medicinal products in 2016–2020

VETERINARY MEDICINAL PRODUCTS MARKET SHARE BETWEEN ATCvet GROUPS

Based on ATCvet classification three largest ATCvet groups covered 65% of total veterinary medicinal products market: antiparasitic products 23% (3.7 million euros), antiinfectives 22% (3.6 million euros) and immunologicals 20% (3.1 million euros), followed by alimentary tract and metabolism (1.5 million euros) and musculo-sceletal system (1.5 million euros). The rest of the ATCvet groups covered 16% of the total veterinary medicines market.

Figure 3. Estonian veterinary medicinal products market share between ATCvet groups in 2018–2020

ANTIPARASITIC PRODUCTS

The turnover of antiparasitic products increased steadily and reached the highest turnover with 3.7 million euros in 2020. Ectoparasiticides, insecticides and repellents (QP53) had the highest turnover, reaching to 1.7 million euros in 2020 (45% of the turnover of antiparasitic products). The turnover of endectocides was 1.0 million euros (28%). The turnover of anthelmintics has been the most stable over the years - 0.6 million euros (17%) in 2020. The turnover of anti-protozoal substances has been the lowest in recent years, accounting for 11% of the turnover of antiparasitic products.

Figure 4. Turnover of antiparasitic products in 2016–2020

ANTIINFECTIVES FOR SYSTEMIC USE

Turnover of antiinfectives

The turnover of antiinfectives was 3.6 million euros in 2020. The most sold antibacterials for systemic use by turnover were 3^rd-generation cephalosporins (QJ01DD), pleuromutilins (QJ01XQ), fluoroquinolones (QJ01MA) and penicillins with extended spectrum (QJ01CA). The turnover of 3^rd-generation cephalosporins increased steadily until 2018 and decreased by 15% and 8%, respectively, in 2019–2020. The turnover of pleuromutilins increased sharply in 2018.

Figure 5. Turnover of most sold antibacterials in 2016–2020

The amount of sold antiinfectives by active ingredient

The amount of active ingredients sold in 2020 decreased by 5.9% compared to the previous year, reaching to 6.7 tons. The use of antimicrobial classes included in the Category B of the AMEG categorisation – critically important antibiotics in human medicine – has decreased in 2020: sales of polymyxins by 43%, sales of 3^rd- and 4^th- generation cephalosporins by 8%, sales of fluoroquinolones by 2%.

Figure 6. Antibiotics for veterinary use in 2016–2020

Of the overall sales of antimicrobials in 2020, tetracyclines, penicillins and pleuromutilins accounted for the largest amounts.

Figure 7. Antimicrobials by classes in 2020

More than fifty different active ingredients of antibiotics are used for veterinary purposes in Estonia. The most sold active ingredients were doxycycline, amoxicillin and tiamulin.

Table 1. The most sold active ingredients (antibiotics) in 2016–2020 (sold in kilograms)

IMMUNOLOGICALS

In 2016–2020, the turnover of immunologicals remained between 2.5–3.1 million euros. 54% of immunologicals sold in 2020 were immunologicals for suidae, reaching 1.6 million euros (51%), following by immunologicals for canidae (16%), for bovidae (15%) and for aves (9%).

Figure 8. Turnover of immunologicals in 2016–2020

HUMAN MEDICINES FOR VETERINARY USE

In the absence of authorised veterinary medicine, veterinarian can use authorised human medicine if necessary. In 2020, the most sold human medicines for veterinary use were drugs for sensory organs, followed by drugs for blood and blood forming organs and for alimentary tract.

Figure 9. Human medicines sales for veterinary use in 2020