January 3: A recent survey conducted by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) showed that the demand for medicines in the Nepali market has decreased.

Meanwhile, there was also concerns that patients have stopped consuming medicines. The survey on the state of pharmaceutical industry of Nepal in the first quarter of the current fiscal year (FY 2022/23) showed such outcomes.

In the survey, producers said that the demand for medicine in the market has decreased by 18.8 percent compared to corresponding period of last fiscal year. Officials of CNI shared that the survey showed that investment plan in the industry has been stopped for the current fiscal year due the decline in market demand.

The country's economy is in a difficult situation due to Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war. It is said that when there is a problem in the economy, there is a decline in consumption and investment of various goods and services. However, even in difficult situations, there should not have been a decline in the demand for essential items such as food and medicine.

It is also a matter of surprise that the demand has decreased at a time when more medicines were required for treatment of diarrhoea, cholera, and dengue. Officials of CNI said that they have published the final study based on the answers given by representative of drug dealers through the scientific method.

"Due financial constraints, the demand for medicines in the market may have decreased even if the common people delay the treatment of non-emergency diseases that require immediate treatment," said Birendra Raj Pandey, vice president of CNI.

The Association of Pharmaceutical Producers of Nepal (APPON) claimed that the condition is more grim than the CNI survey has showed. According to the association, the market has decreased by 28 to 30 percent.

Biplav Adhikari, general secretary of the APPON, said that the decline in the demand for medicine in all regions is due to the awareness of the people after Covid-19.

“The number of patients has decreased in the hospital. After Covid-19, people have become aware of the disease. This is a good point. However, it seems that some people are not receiving treatment due to lack of finances,” said Adhikari, “Both public awareness and lack of finances are responsible for the decrease in demand.”

According to him, drugs are being imported illegally into Nepal for a long time. He also claimed that the amount of drugs entering in this way has increased recently.

 "Illegal imports also have a hand in the decline in the demand for medicines produced in the country," he said.

Infectious disease specialist Dr Sher Bahadur Pun said that the number of people getting sick from communicable diseases has decreased recently due to the increase in public awareness. He thinks that this may also have reduced the demand for medicines.