Abstract
Why buy this report
- Get insight into trends in market performance
- Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change
- Identify market and brand leaders and understand the competitive
environment
Product coverage
Adult mouthcare; Allergy care; Analgesics; Calming and sleeping products;
Child-specific OTC healthcare; Cough; cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies;
Digestive remedies; Ear care; Emergency contraception; Eye care; Medicated
skin care; NRT Smoking cessation aids; OTC obesity; OTC statins; Vitamins and
dietary supplements; Wound treatments
Executive summary
OTC products are too expensive for many Bolivians
Around 50% of the Bolivian population does not have access to essential
medicines. Survey data estimates that between 43% and 48% of the total
population uses public health services, up to 22% of the population has
insurance, and only 10% of the population has access to private health care
services. Between 20% and 25% of the population does not have access to any
health care attention since it is mainly a dispersed rural population.
Most important OTC sectors
Given that Bolivians' traditional menu is constituted by very spicy and greasy
meals, digestive remedies are always in need and this is the most important
OTC sector. Even though it is forbidden by law, digestive remedies are sold in
convenience and grocery stores as well as in pharmacies. Digestive remedies
combined with analgesics are also used for hangovers.
The second most important sector is the cough, cold and allergy sector; its
sales increase during the winter months (May, June and July) especially in
cities with cold weather such as La Paz, Oruro and Potosi.
National brands dominate the pharmaceutical market
The Bolivian OTC market is dominated by national brands manufactured and, in
some cases, distributed by both large national laboratories such as INTI,
Vita, Cofar, and small laboratories that mainly produce and sell generic
remedies at lower prices (Ifarbo, Lafar, Alcos, etc).
Generics on the rise
Given that the Government' s policy is to purchase generics, and that there is
so much need for public health services, expectations are that demand for
generics will increase.
Potential international demand for traditional medicines
There are several facts that support the importance of traditional medicines.
Some medicinal plants demonstrated their efficacy in the treatment of
potential deadly illness, for example it was demonstrated that the Chinese
Artemisia annua herb is an effective remedy for malaria. Others cure non-life
threatening illnesses as the maca (natural Viagra) which is an Andean plant
with fortifying and energising properties with a 70% efficacy in solving
erection problems with no side effects. This healing potential cannot pass
unnoticed and is likely to be exploited.
The weekly journal ' L' Express' stated that a Japanese laboratory and two
American universities were trying to commercialise medicines obtained from the
millenary knowledge of the Bolivia' s kallawaya practitioners, and the World
Health Organization increasingly pays attention to traditional medicines.
Given this facts it seems obvious that the benefits of this medicine will
shortly be known worldwide and therefore its demand will increase.
View Cart
