Sales in China's pharmaceutical distribution industry totaled 942.6 billion yuan (149.62 billion U.S. dollars) in 2011, up 23% from the previous year, according to the data from the Ministry of Commerce.
Drug sales on the retail market reached 188.5 billion yuan in 2011, featuring a stable annual growth rate of around 20% over the past years.
The main business revenues of major pharmaceutical distribution companies grew 23% year-on-year to 656.8 billion yuan, while their profits totaled 15.2 billion yuan, up 17%.
Drug sales accounted for the largest share 76.2%, followed by Chinese patent medicine sales (15.2%), Chinese medical herbal sales (2.9%) and medical equipment sales (2.7%).
Meanwhile, sales of basic medicines grew fast, with sales of basic medicine wholesalers up 24% from a year earlier to 58.3 billion yuan. The rise was 4% higher than that of the previous year.
Rural medicine demand continued to rise last year. Pharmaceutical sales in rural areas expanded 27% year-on-year to 146.1 billion yuan, compared to the 23% increase seen in the previous year.
By the end of 2010, China had 13,500 drug wholesalers and 399,000 drugstores.
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2012 China Pharmaceutical Industry Development Analysis and Forecast Report
