Amid an upsurge of Covid-19 and flu cases, sales of anti-infectives and respiratory drugs increased 50% and 49% respectively year-on-year, according to an IQVIA report.

“We have seen a sharp rise in the sales of drugs like paracetamol, analgesics and drugs for respiratory illnesses,” said Rajiv Singhal, general secretary, All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD).

According to the report, sales of anti-infectives surged to ₹2,061 crore and those of respiratory drugs increased to ₹1,579 crore.

Total sales in India’s pharmaceutical market in FY23 grew 19% year-on-year to ₹17,107 crore from ₹14,365 crore a year ago.

The go-to fever drug Calpol saw a 106% growth to ₹47 crore. Sales of antibiotic drugs Monocef and Clavam also saw a sharp growth of 72% and 43% respectively. Popular drug Dolo saw a 120% growth to ₹39 crore while sales of Azithral increased 114%.

GlaxosmithKline’s Augmentin posted a growth of 45% year-on-year to ₹77 crore. Similarly, Cipla‘s Foracort, used for respiratory problems, recorded sales of ₹63 crore, growing at 36% year-on-year.

With India seeing a massive jump in the number of daily Covid cases, Singhal said the upward trend in sales of the medicines is likely to continue. In April last year, sales of anti-infectives had fallen 29% year-on-year.Singhal said India’s drug pricing regulator, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, has asked the AIOCD to monitor the situation and ensure that stocks are maintained adequately. “We are keeping an eye on the stocks. As of now there are no shortages in the country. We have asked the state associations to keep monitoring and alert in advance in case they see any such shortage situation,” he said.

Sales of Mylab’s at-home Covid test kit CoviSelf saw a 15% jump year-on-year in March, said Hasmukh Rawal, managing director, Mylab Discovery Solutions.

Meanwhile, Anurag Agrawal, chair of the World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution said India had crossed 10,000 mark a long time ago. “Real cases are always far more than observed since most illnesses go untested,” he said.

While severe acute illness is not a matter of concern at present, understanding the long-term effects remains a challenge, said Agrawal. “The wave will end soon as previous ones did and have much fewer severe cases,” he said.