Pharmaceutical companies optimistic about 2005 following good Q1 results

"The results of the first quarter allow us to maintain our forecast of 6% growth for the whole year," said IMS president Stefan Bogusławski. Sales of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines grew by 12.3% in Q1, although IMS only analyzes sales in pharmacies and not other retailers, such as kiosks, supermarkets, etc. Sales of OTC drugs in pharmacies amounted to zł.980 million in Q1. "The beginning of the year is a period of infections. We have noted a clear increase in sales of OTC medicines, compared to 2003," says Aldona Zygmunt from GlaxoSmithKline. Sales of medicines to hospitals also significantly rose, by 8.8%. In their case, Bogusławski says that the increase could be the result of restocking by hospitals, following the end of the year when hospitals usually receive insufficient funds from the National Health Fund (NFZ). Total sales of pharmaceuticals in net producer prices amounted to zł.3.72 billion in Q1. (Puls Biznesu, p. 8) T.J.