Volume share of the generic pharmaceuticals market in Italy 2012-2022

In recent years, generic medications are becoming increasingly popular in Italy. As a matter of fact, the market volume share of generics steadily grew over time. In 2022, generics accounted for 27.7 percent of the total pharmaceutical market volume.   

Consumption of generic medication

The use of generic medication was mainly common in some Northern Italian regions such as Lombardy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and the Autonomous Province of Trento. People living in the South and in the Center were less likely to take generic medication. Calabria was the region with the lowest share of consumption of generic drugs. Likewise, the incidence of generics on public pharmaceutical expenditure was higher in northern than in southern regions.  

Growth rate of the generic pharmaceutical market“ 

Between 2017 and 2019, the market of generics kept on increasing in terms of both volume and value, before experiencing a contraction in 2020. In regard to volume, the worst performing quarter was the second of 2020, when the market of generic drugs decreased by nine percent. The same quarter proved to be hard with reference to value too, with revenue experiencing a contraction of 6.4 percent.