OBJECTIVES:   Few studies have been conducted on vitamin dispensing patterns in retail pharmacies in South Africa.  The aim of this study was to analyse the dispensing patterns of vitamins (ATC group A11) over a one year period in a group of community pharmacies in South Africa.  METHODS:   A retrospective drug utilisation study was conducted on community pharmacy electronic dispensing records in South Africa for 2013.  All products in ATC subgroup A11 were extracted and analysed.  RESULTS: A total of 164 233 vitamin products were dispensed to 84 805 patients.  Most patients were females (62.64%) and most of the vitamin products (59.62%) were dispensed to females.  Males received on average 2.09 (SD=2.63) vitamin products per year, compared to 1.84 (SD=2.13) products for females.  Ergocalciferol (A11CC01) was the most often dispensed (37.48% of all vitamin products), followed by plain Vitamin B-complex products (A11EA00) accounting for 32.77%.  Ergocalciferol is only available on prescription in South Africa (50 000 IU tablets or 50 000 IU/ml oily drops).  The tablets are relatively inexpensive (approximately R2.50 per tablet).  Of all the dosage formulations, tablets were preferred (62.84% of all vitamin products).  Most injections were for Vitamin B1 or Vitamin B combination products.  Vitamin B injections have recently been rescheduled in South Africa to prescription-only products and consumers therefore no longer can buy these products from a pharmacy or ask the pharmacist to administer a Vitamin B injection without a prescription.  The number of vitamin products dispensed increased steadily over the year.  CONCLUSIONS:   Vitamins are important in treating nutritional deficiencies, yet few studies on vitamins have been conducted in pharmacies.  It is expected that the change in the over-the-counter availability of Vitamin B injections in South Africa will impact on their dispensing and usage patterns.  It will be important to monitor the effect that this change in prescribing status will have on vitamin sales in pharmacies.