Analgesics in Canada

PROSPECTS

Canada’s ageing but increasingly active population bodes well for analgesics

Population ageing and the growing willingness of Canadians to self-medicate for minor aches and pains continued to drive the expansion of the analgesics category in 2019. Demand for analgesics was further bolstered by the fact that Canadians are becoming more likely to maintain physically active lifestyles as they grow older.

Topical analgesics/anaesthetic set to remain the fastest developing category

Topical analgesics/anaesthetic was the most dynamic performer in current value growth terms in 2019, and looks set to maintain this distinction over the forecast period. This category will remain the primary beneficiary of population ageing and the trend towards more physically active lifestyles among Canadians.

Health Canada plans to ban OTC sales of products containing codeine

As of late 2019, Health Canada was engaged in public consultations on its proposal to amend the Narcotic Control Regulations with a view to banning the OTC sale of products containing codeine. The proposed ban, which is supported by the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Pharmacists Association, is likely to come into effect early in the forecast period, and will necessitate the switching of some analgesics from OTC to Rx status.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Joint venture GSK Consumer Healthcare claims overall lead in 2019

Major global pharmaceutical companies continued to dominate analgesics in Canada in 2019. GSK Consumer Healthcare, a recently formed joint venture between GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Pfizer, was the overall leader in value terms, followed by McNeil Consumer Healthcare (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson Inc) and Bayer Inc.

Interest in cannabis-based analgesics continues to rise

Cannabidiol (CBD) is still regulated as a controlled substance in Canada, and CBD products can only be marketed by distributors licensed to sell medical and recreational cannabis. Nonetheless, interest in analgesics products made with CBD is on the rise in the country.

Internet retailing remains a marginal channel in analgesics

Internet retailing continued to account for a marginal value share in analgesics in 2019. This was partly because some of Canada’s biggest health and beauty specialist retailers chains remained absent from the channel, including Shoppers Drug Mart, but also reflected the fact that because analgesics are typically only purchased when needed immediately, consumers tend to buy them in-store.

Files are delivered directly into your account within a few minutes of purchase.