Supplements And Personal Care Sales Boost Italian Online Pharmacy During COVID-19
Executive Summary
Sales of dietary supplements and personal care products helped Italy's online pharmacy channel grow by 25% in the twelve months to October 2021, IQVIA reports.
Trends for prevention and self-care during COVID-19 have boosted Italy’s online pharmacy channel, according to the latest data from IQVIA Consumer Health.
Sales of dietary supplements and personal care products helped the channel grow by 25% to €428m ($483m) in the twelve months to October 2021, IQVIA reports.
On an annual basis, last October’s e-pharmacy sales – which now include selected OTC medicines, thanks to a liberalisation of the channel by the Italian government – were 14% higher than the previous October.
Dietary supplements are the largest category of consumer healthcare products in the online pharmacy channel, and also grew in the 12 months.
Total unit sales of supplements in October 2021 also increased compared to the same month last year, by 12.3% to 1.64m units, IQVIA Consumer Health noted.
Personal care is another important category for online pharmacies in Italy, IQVIA Consumer Health pointed out.
Turnover of personal care products through Italian e-pharmacy for the entire 12 months ending in October 2021 totalled €143m.
In October, unit sales grew by 12% compared to October 2020, and 16% compared to September 2021.