Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/331332/belarus_pharmaceut) has announced the addition of the "Belarus Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Report Q3 2009" report to their offering.
Business Monitor International's Belarus Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, pharmaceutical associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Belarus' pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry
Belarus will remain one of the most resilient pharmaceutical markets in the author's Emerging Europe Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare coverage universe. At the same time, we have downgraded the market growth rate in the face of more pessimistic economic growth data, aggressive import substitution policies and weakness in the ruble. We see this pushing euro and US-dollar denominated imported medicines out of the marketplace. We are predicting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.04% in US dollar terms, with a contraction in value terms of 17.2% in 2009. We do not expect robust growth to return until 2011.
A voluntary pricing freeze was agreed and came into effect in early June. The move was not unexpected and follows the 25% fall in the value of the ruble vis-à-vis the euro in late 2008/early 2009. In theory, companies will be required to obtain permission from the Ministry of Health before raising prices and wholesalers and retailers will have to apply minimal mark ups. In practice, prices are likely to slide upwards or shortages will appear. The author sees real prices continuing to edge upwards as wholesalers and retailers seek to survive in straightened economic conditions.