Russians Turned to Diet Drugs and Antidepressants

The independent outlet Verstka analyzed data from the Russian pharmaceutical market covering January-November 2025 and outlined the main trends shaping the sector over the past year. 

According to Verstka, obesity drugs topped retail sales rankings. Sales of Semavik increased 2.9 times compared with 2024, reaching R15.2 billion (about $191.7 million). Russians also spent R4.5 billion (about $56.8 million) on Velgia over the same period – a drug that had not been sold a year earlier. Industry experts noted that although most semaglutide-based drugs were formally classified as diabetes medications, they were most often prescribed for weight loss.

Antidepressants ranked second among top-selling drugs. In October 2025, retail sales reached a historic high of R15.7 billion (approximately $198.1 million), up 36% from the same period the previous year. A total of 19.1 million packages were sold between January and October. Notably, Moscow and Moscow Oblast accounted for 31% of antidepressant sales by value.

Retail sales of antiviral drugs also increased for the first time in three years. Russians spent R34 billion (about $428.8 million) on antivirals in 2025, a 15.7% increase from 2024. The rise coincided with higher rates of respiratory infections and COVID, which health authorities reported in early autumn.

At the same time, sales of drugs used for medication abortions fell sharply. Since 2023, Russian authorities have tightened oversight of abortion services, with some private clinics halting procedures and new penalties introduced for doctors accused of encouraging abortions. In 2024, lawmakers also banned what they described as "childfree propaganda." Against this backdrop, demand for contraception, including emergency contraceptives, rose in 2025.

Beyond shifting demand, Verstka highlighted worsening supply problems. Throughout 2025, pharmacies in multiple regions reported shortages of essential medicines. The medical journal Medvestnik reported that complaints about unavailable drugs increased to 22,700 in the first nine months of the year, up from 19,100 during the same period in 2024. More than 63% of complaints were related to medicines missing from pharmacy shelves, while others cited refusals to issue prescriptions or long delays in drug provision.

Another major trend was the continued decline in the number of pharmacies. From January through September 2025, Russia had an average of about 84,900 pharmacy outlets, a decrease of 754 locations compared to the same period a year earlier. On average, each pharmacy served about 1,770 people last year.

Industry experts attributed the closures to market saturation, fiscal policy changes, and mounting pressure from large retail chains, with which smaller operators increasingly struggled to compete.