Reference
Medicines missing from Russian pharmacies: French equivalents
This page lists the medicines most often searched for as gone from Russian pharmacies and their French matches: the same brand or a medicine with the same active ingredient from the official BDPM database. LekInfo is a reference with a free manager consultation, not a pharmacy: we do not track stock in Russian pharmacies, and prescribing or substitution is a doctor’s decision.
Medicines often missing in Russia and what France has
Matches are by brand or active ingredient. Each medicine page shows the forms and strengths from BDPM, French dispensing conditions and a price guide.
Novatrex, ImethМетотрексат
methotrexate
Another brand with the same active ingredient.
AtaraxАтаракс
hydroxyzine
The same medicine under the same name.
Depakine, Depakine ChronoДепакин
valproic acid (sodium valproate)
The same medicine under the same name.
TardyferonТардиферон
ferrous sulfate
The same medicine under the same name.
Un-AlfaАльфакальцидол
alfacalcidol
Another brand with the same active ingredient.
Ursolvan, DelursanУрсофальк
ursodeoxycholic acid
Another brand with the same active ingredient.
BetopticБетоптик
betaxolol
The same medicine under the same name.
NeuleptilНеулептил
periciazine
The same medicine under the same name.
SingulairСингуляр
montelukast
The same medicine under the same name.
LipanthylФенофибрат
fenofibrate
Another brand with the same active ingredient.
Colchicine OpocalciumКолхикум
colchicine
Another brand with the same active ingredient.
Co-RenitecКо-ренитек
enalapril + hydrochlorothiazide
The same medicine under the same name.
SifrolПрамипексол
pramipexole
Another brand with the same active ingredient.
TahorЛипримар
atorvastatin
Another brand with the same active ingredient.
FinaceaСкинорен
azelaic acid
Another brand with the same active ingredient.
CordaroneКордарон
amiodarone
The same medicine under the same name.
PentasaСалофальк
mesalazine
Another brand with the same active ingredient.
CellCeptМикофенолат
mycophenolate mofetil
Another brand with the same active ingredient.
ZytigaАбиратерон
abiraterone
Another brand with the same active ingredient.
What a stock-out is and why medicines disappear
Russian pharmacists call a medicine that is out of stock at the moment of the visit «defectura». Usually this is a temporary interruption: a delayed delivery, stock sent to other pharmacies or a finished batch. When a medicine is missing for a long time across many regions, it is a shortage.
The causes vary: the manufacturer suspended or stopped supply, the registration expired or was not renewed, logistics changed, the active substance ran short or demand rose sharply. Pharmacies usually do not know when supply will resume.
What to do when a pharmacy does not have your medicine
Steps that help keep treatment going.
- Check other pharmacies and chains: stock-outs are often local.
- If the medicine was prescribed under a subsidised prescription, ask the pharmacy to register it for deferred dispensing.
- Find the active ingredient (INN) in the leaflet and check the Russian State Register of Medicines (GRLS) for other medicines with it.
- Discuss a substitute with your doctor: the same ingredient, another form or a medicine of the same class. Do not change treatment on your own.
- If no suitable option exists in Russia, look up the French match below and ask a manager, who checks the details free of charge and explains the possible ways to obtain it.
What to use if the medicine is not sold in France either
Some medicines missing in Russia were never registered in France or were withdrawn: Elidel, Solcoseryl, Hepatrombin, Vasobral, Bioparox. For them we list what BDPM has with the same active ingredient or of the same class. These are reference matches, not recommendations: a doctor decides on substitution.
Questions and answers
What does it mean when a medicine is «in defectura»?
Russian pharmacies use the word when a medicine is out of stock at the moment of the visit. It is usually a temporary supply interruption; a long absence across many pharmacies is a shortage.
Why is a medicine missing from pharmacies?
Supply may have been delayed or stopped by the manufacturer, the registration may have expired, the raw material may have run short or demand may have risen sharply. Pharmacies usually do not know when it will return.
What if a pharmacy cannot fill my prescription?
Check other pharmacies and ask for a subsidised prescription to be registered for deferred dispensing. If the medicine stays unavailable, discuss a substitute by ingredient or class with your doctor. Do not switch medicines on your own.
Can a medicine missing in Russia be obtained from France?
If it is registered in France and listed in BDPM, a LekInfo manager checks the details and dispensing conditions free of charge and explains the possible ways to obtain it in your country. Prescription medicines are dispensed in France on prescription.
How does the French medicine differ from the Russian one?
Often it is the same medicine from the same manufacturer under the same or another name. Sometimes it is another brand with the same active ingredient: the form, strength and excipients may differ, so agree any switch with your doctor.
How often is the list updated?
The list is reviewed with each BDPM catalog release; the date of the last review is shown at the top. LekInfo does not track stock in Russian pharmacies.
This is reference information, not medical advice, advertising or an offer to sell. Matches do not imply interchangeability; prescribing and substitution are a doctor’s decisions. Source: BDPM, the official French medicines database (ANSM).