OTC market - comparing Czech Republic and Greece.

Medicines for self-medication (over-the-counter, OTC) are available through pharmacies, in some countries they are also available in supermarkets and other outlets. The use of OTC in European Union countries shows some differences at national level, in pharmacies and in patients preference. This study aimed to completing the lists of marketed OTC in Czech Republic and Greece. Next topics are: finding out the real range of OTC products offered by pharmacies, finding and evaluating number of packages sold in pharmacies in 20 particular common OTC in 2016, and indentification of factors influencing the sales. Web pages of national drug authorities (Czech Republic, Greece) were searched to complete lists of marketed OTC in each country. Data on range of OTC drugs and sales of them were extracted from computer systems (Czech Republic) and other types of documents (Greece) kept in pharmacies. The percentage of the real range of OTC products in pharmacies was calculated as the ratio to the number of OTC in national lists. Numbers of sold packages were compared among pharmacies. Classification system ATC (anatomical/therapeutical/chemical) was employed to present findings in all parts of the research. The Czech list contained 1,160 of marketed OTC in 10 ATC (1st level), with the maximum in ATC R (243 drugs). The Greek list contained 1,254 OTC in 13 ATC (1st level), with the maximum in ATC D (272 drugs). In lists of both countries, there were detected 86 drugs identical in 9 ATC (1st level). At least one OTC in each of 10 listed ATC was found in Czech pharmacies as a part of range of products, the range of OTC in Greek pharmacies comprised 11 ATC. The highest sales (year 2016) were found in ATC R (drug ACC long tbl eff) in CR and in ATC A (drug: Imodium cps) in Greece. The differences in the range of OTC drugs and in their sales were found between Czech Republic and Greece, and between types of pharmacies inside each country. Factors influencing them were detected: ownership of the pharmacy, locality (number of inhabitants). OTC drugs pharmacy Czech Republic Greece.