Covid-19 Policy Papers

On a global level, surveys, increasing number of visits to e-pharmacy sites, and actual sales in 2020 demonstrate an increased interest in self-care, a greater willingness to ask for advice from pharmacists, and a significant growth in e-commerce non-prescription medicine sales that has continued into 2021.

To ensure that non-prescription medicines continued to be available as an important option for consumers during the pandemic, regulatory authorities and the self-care industry took unprecedented actions, including increased collaboration and communication among regulatory authorities and between authorities and manufacturers.

The COVID-19 pandemic “exposed vulnerabilities in the production strategies and supply chains of firms just about everywhere. Temporary trade restrictions and shortages of pharmaceuticals, critical medical supplies, and other products highlighted their weaknesses.”