With cooler temperatures this winter, the cost of respiratory-related health illnesses will be 9% higher than this time last year.
If the inflation rate of 4.46% in the first half of December 2023 is taken into account, the price of winter medicines will double.
Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) show that the price of expectorants and decongestants increased by 9.11% compared to the first 15 days of the last month of 2022.
The consumer price of painkillers increases by 8.39% per year, which is higher than the 7.45% in the pharmaceutical concept.
Data from the institute show that the annual growth rate of anti-influenza drugs is 6.59%, the growth rate of anti-inflammatory drugs is 6.01%, and the growth rate of medical consultation is 4.83%.
John Soldevilla, managing director of the Economy, Business and Indicators consultancy (Ecobi), said respiratory illnesses typical of winter are multiplying among the population due to lower temperatures.
He ruled out the possibility that this seasonal phenomenon, although currently being experienced, would put additional pressure on headline inflation.
Cesar Castro, director of economic analysis at consulting firm DARSI, suggested paying close attention to the market for drugs needed in the cryogenic phase to assess whether supply is sufficient.
According to Holy Angels Hospital, the risk of infection with upper respiratory tract (nose, larynx, and throat) and lower respiratory tract (trachea, bronchi, lungs, etc.) diseases increases during the winter.
The five most common illnesses are: the common cold, flu, pneumonia, bronchitis and pharyngitis.
It is worth remembering that in the first 15 days of December 2022, the overall inflation rate averaged 7.77% annually, while winter drug price increases ranged from 8.3% (anti-inflammatories) to 10.22% (painkillers).
Prices for anti-flu medications increased by 9.91%, while expectorants and decongestants also saw price changes of 9.15%.
That said, they also exceeded the overall inflation rate for the period in question.
This is in stark contrast to what happened in the first 15 days of December 2021, when the overall annual rate for consumer prices reported a higher winter drug increase of 7.45%, as the closest concepts were expectorants and decongestants, Inegi It was reported at the time that the proportion was 6.78%.