Presentation of the Statistical Survey Results: “Analysis of Population Expenditure in Pharmacies and Sales of Pharmaceutical Goods”
The State Data Agency (Statistics Lithuania) has presented results of a new statistical survey titled “Analysis of Population Expenditure in Pharmacies and Sales of Pharmaceutical Goods”. For the first time, this survey enables a detailed monitoring of how much and on what Lithuanian residents spend in pharmacies, as well as how medicine prices are changing.
In September 2025, residents of Lithuania spent over EUR 84 million in pharmacies, which means averaging EUR 29 per person per month.
Of this amount:
- EUR 8.63 was spent on non-prescription medicines,
- EUR 8.26 – on non-reimbursed prescription medicines,
- EUR 5.84 – on food supplements,
- almost EUR 1 – on reimbursed medicines.
This survey is a significant step toward evidence-based pharmaceutical policy-making. It will enable a detailed assessment of household spending dynamics, medicine usage trends, and the overall state of the pharmaceutical market in Lithuania”, says Dr Julius Juodakis, Head of the Health Data Team at the State Data Agency.
Daniel Naumovas, Vice-Minister of Health, emphasizes that such data is important both for patients and for public institutions:
“The survey will provide a solid foundation for effective medicine monitoring and contribute to a more transparent, data-driven pharmaceutical policy. We also expect that this data will improve Lithuania’s accountability to international organizations and allow for comparisons with other EU countries.”
What Does the Survey Examine?
The statistical survey is conducted in accordance with Resolution No. 975 of 20 December 2023 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. Its objective is to continuously collect and analyze information on:
- the sales (dispensing) of medicinal products and other pharmaceutical goods to the population,
- changes in medicine prices,
- the structure of expenditures.
The survey is based on the integration of several information sources:
- data from pharmacy receipts,
- information from the ePrescription subsystem,
- data from the State Medicines Control Agency (SMCA) and the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS).
This approach ensures the ability to thoroughly analyze the sales of prescription and non-prescription medicines, food supplements, and other health-related products.
Innovative Data Solutions
One of the biggest challenges at the beginning of the survey was the classification of over 100,000 product names that lacked assigned categories. To address this, the State Data Agency developed a custom logistic regression model that automatically classifies products based on keyword patterns in their names. The said model achieves an accuracy rate of approximately 95 per cent, ensuring a high level of data quality and a reliable foundation for analysis.
When Will the Results be Available?
Starting from IV quarter 2025, the State Data Agency has begun publishing data on sales of medicines and pharmaceutical goods.
Such data is updated monthly and is publicly accessible on:
- the Official Statistics Portal: https://osp.stat.gov.lt/statistiniu-tyrimu-rezultatai
- the Open Data Portal: https://data.gov.lt/datasets
Methodological information on data quality and indicator calculation principles is also provided.
Data Confidentiality
All data is processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as well as the confidentiality policy of the State Data Agency. Neither individual residents nor specific pharmacies can be identified: data is used solely for statistical purposes.
Why is This Important?
The survey will help institutions more effectively assess medicine accessibility, price changes, and the structure of household expenditures.
Based on this data, it will be possible to:
- plan reimbursed medicine policies more accurately,
- better understand the accessibility of non-reimbursed medicines,
- provide more precise data to international organizations.
The State Data Agency remains committed to ensuring that reliable and comprehensive statistical data contributes to the development of a transparent, effective, and evidence-based health policy in Lithuania.
Explore the research results here.
You can find the presentation slides here.