OBJECTIVES: In the last 15 years, the Turkish pharmaceutical market has experienced a remarkable evolution, characterized by notable progress, regulatory reforms, and substantial industry expansion, which have profoundly impacted the healthcare sector of the country. This project endeavours to elucidate the dynamic transformations witnessed within the Turkish pharmaceutical market spanning the period from 2007 to 2021.

METHODS: The analysis was conducted by comparing the data of the Observation Reports on the Turkish Pharmaceutical Market, which were prepared by The Turkish Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Agency (TITCK). The descriptive analyses for the study were conducted using the Microsoft Office Excel program.

RESULTS: The overall value of medicine sales has increased x5, going from 12 to 64 billion TL. Simultaneously, the sales volume has risen by 1.5 times, reaching 2.4 billion boxes. The average price per box of medicines has tripled, going from 8 TL to 27 TL. While insurance-covered sales volume declined, sales of over-the-counter medicines increased, covering 23% of all medicines sold. The share of domestically manufactured medicines in terms of sales and value increased from 79% to 88% and from 50% to 52%, respectively, compared to the share of imported medicines. The price per box of imported medicines increased by 5 times, reaching 105 TL, while domestic medicines increased by 4 times, reaching 16 TL. The sales volume of biotechnological medicines increased fourfold, reaching 38 million boxes. The proportion of the biotechnological medicine market in the total pharmaceutical market tripled. The average price per box of biotechnological medicines increased threefold, reaching 302 TL. Furthermore, the sales value of biosimilar medicines, which initially stood at zero, increased by 390 times, reaching 12 billion TL.

CONCLUSIONS: The pharmaceutical industry has experienced notable shifts in medicine sales dynamics over the years. Overall, the sales value of all medicines has shown continuous growth.