Global OTC Sales Reach the US$40 Billion Mark 24/08/00 IMS HEALTH has recently published its OTCreview 2000 review of the global over-the-counter (OTC) market, reporting annual sales of US$40.8 billion worldwide. According to the review, cough, cold and respiratory products represented the largest OTC category, with sales totalling US$6.5 billion. The pain relief category was second, with US$5 billion in worldwide sales, and the vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements category ranked third, with sales of US$4.7 billion. OTCreview 2000 provides a comprehensive look at OTC markets in more than 40 countries and is available via IMS HEALTH's i-squared pharmaceutical industry Internet portal. Covering five major regions worldwide - North America, Europe, the Pacific Rim, Latin America and Far East/China - the review provides detailed insights on key markets, OTC product categories, brands and companies. Regulatory issues are reviewed, together with five year forecasts of both market and product categories. North America represented nearly a third of the global OTC market with 1999 sales of US$12.3 billion, making it the largest market region worldwide. Europe accounted for 27% of the market, with US$10.9 billion in sales. The Pacific Rim represented 19% of the global market, with US$7.7 billion in sales; Latin America, 9%, with US$3.8 billion in sales; and the Far East/China, 8% with sales of US$3.3 billion. Among individual countries, the US and Japan led the global OTC marketplace with sales of US$10.7 billion and US$7.5 billion respectively. The third-largest OTC market worldwide and leading European market is Germany, with US$2.9 billion in annual sales. An analysis of OTC sales on a per capita basis shows that Japan enjoyed the highest expenditure with consumers spending an average of US$56 per person annually. By comparison, consumers in the US and Germany spent an average of US$43 per person on OTC products. The lowest per capita expenditure levels were found in Russia, with annual spending levels of just US$2 per person, and the Ukraine, at US$1 per person. According to William Quaeyhaegens, vice president, IMS HEALTH SelfMedication, "With its scope and comprehensive insights, OTCreview 2000 enables better-informed strategic sales and marketing decisions in the global OTC marketplace. The availability of the report through IMS HEALTH's i-squared Internet portal means critical decisions can be made faster than ever before."