OTC / Consumer Healthcare

OTC/Self-Medication is a central element for ensuring future healthcare for the public, specifically in the light of the rising costs of the healthcare system and population development in Germany. The complex market with very different players and statutory regulations in Europe remains attractive, with projected growth rates of approx. 3% annually up to 2025.

Over the last year, influenced by Covid 19, the OTC market has undergone further dynamic developments, which reinforced long-term trends for all participants in the market, OTC manufacturers, pharmacists, e-commerce and consumers, but also resulted in marked changes. The growth trend in OTC mail order, which has been continuing for some years, grew again, whereas pharmacies have lost revenue, the result of increasingly changed consumer behaviour. Clear shifts in the categories due to the pandemic could be seen in the falling colds market and marked increases in disinfectants, vitamins and dietary supplements.

Industry Segments:

  • Manufacturers of OTC products
  • Manufacturers of herbal medicines and homoeopathic products
  • E-Commerce
  • Associations and international organisations

Concentration in mail order/e-commerce and the development of certain groupings into “health platforms” will change the market even more in the future. Top OTC manufacturers are therefore already reacting by setting up integrated digital departments in which business development, sales, marketing, technology, etc. are brought together. The demand for managers with pronounced expertise in the field of digital commerce is an omnipresent topic.

Reference Positions:

  • General Manager
  • Sales Director/Marketing Director
  • Digital Commerce Lead
  • Senior KAM e-pharmacy
  • Head of Shopper Activation & Category Management