Tylenol shortage boosts Penzal sales by over 40%

Distributor “Acetaminophens sales affected by COVID-19”

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, acetaminophen’s top brand product Tylenol has been experiencing shortage and seemingly other alternatives are seeing a surge in sales.

 

Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical official announced on Apr.

 

2 the sales volume of Penzal-Q in last February and March has soared over 40 percent than same time last year.

 

And Penzal ER tablet’s volume in the same period has also leapt by 56 percent than the previous year.

 

Besides the popular OTC, Penzal brand has a prescription tablet line and the surge in the prescribed ER tablet volume could mean it was an easy option for pharmacies to replace Tylenol.

 

In last March alone when the acetaminophen shortage issue has surfaced, the combined volumes of Penzal-Q and Penzal ER tablet have spiked 48 percent more than the year before.

 

Accordingly, the industry experts view the Korean-made acetaminophen brand sharing a common substance with Tylenol has profited it.

 

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended ‘consuming acetaminophen instead of ibuprofen as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug to relieve symptoms suspected of COVID-19,’ but the organization withdrew the recommendation after two days.

 

However, the two days were enough to hype the demand on acetaminophen in the market.

 

Regardless of prescription or OTC line, Tylenol has become rare to find in the market.

 

The supplier, Janssen Korea claims the product is distributed in Korean market in the same amount as pre-COVID-19 outbreak, which supports the theory that the exponential increase in demand on Tylenol has caused the shortage.

 

Undergoing a product renewal and price raise in April, Samjin Pharm’s Geworin has doubled in sales from February to March.

 

However, considering the pharmacies were stocking up the product before the price jump, it is too early to conclude the COVID-19 outbreak was the direct cause of the surge.

 

The direct correlation would be apparent in the next second half of the year when the re-order has been made.

 

An insider from the distribution industry commented, “On the day Tylenol comes in stock once in a month, all the stock is exhausted within the same day.

 

It seems like the both consumers demand and pharmacies’ preorder volume have skyrocketed.” The distribution industry also agrees the general acetaminophens sales have increased.

 

The sales volume of acetaminophens recorded by the top distributor has shown a significant rise in OTC acetaminophens.

 

Some items’ volumes have even doubled from February to March.

 

A pharmaceutical company associate noted, “The public’s heightened interest in acetaminophens has boosted demands in specific items, and it eventually affected their sales volume.

 

The industry has recognized the COVID-19 outbreak as one of causes of the sales influx.”