Pharmaceutical Business review

Study says OTC drug sales through alternate distribution channels increase in US

The OTC Retailing: U.S. Alternate Channel Analyses and Opportunities report said online sales saw the highest increase with a CAGR of 16.1% as the internet is increasingly becoming a popular distribution outlet driven by convenience.

Although there is an increase in online sales of OTC drugs, it is not equal for all OTC categories.

Kline& Company healthcare practice industry manager Laura Mahecha said growth opportunities within the retail environment should be explored on individual channel and category bases.

”While some of the alternate channels, such as warehouse clubs, dollar stores, convenience stores, and online, can offer opportunity for growth in select categories and for certain brands, several other alternate retail channels ostensibly aren’t prime candidates for an increase of branded OTC sales," Mahecha added.