Vitamins over medicines: Preventive healthcare takes centre stage as India’s health behaviour transforms in 2025

India’s healthcare behaviour underwent a visible shift in 2025, with people moving decisively from reactive treatment to proactive wellness, according to the PharmEasy Health Report 2025. One of the clearest trends from the data is the rise of preventive healthcare as a mainstream habit. For the first time, vitamins and supplements emerged as the most ordered category on the platform, signalling that consumers are increasingly investing in maintaining health rather than responding only when illness strikes. Vitamin B supplements stood out as the single most purchased health product of the year, recording a 33% year-on-year growth across cities and age groups. Calcium and Vitamin D supplements followed closely, highlighting growing awareness around nutritional deficiencies, bone health and immunity.

Chronic disease management continued to dominate medicine demand in 2025. Medicines related to blood pressure and diabetes accounted for an overwhelming 93% of chronic-care orders, underlining the scale of long-term health conditions across Indian households. Late-night ordering patterns offered another insight: demand during night hours was driven largely by chronic-care medicines rather than emergencies, suggesting disciplined, ongoing management of long-term conditions.

Diagnostics also saw a behavioural shift. Tests that were once booked primarily in response to illness are increasingly becoming part of routine health monitoring. Vitamin D tests topped the charts nationwide, followed by thyroid panels and HbA1c tests. The rising adoption of these tests, particularly in Tier-2 cities, reflects growing awareness of preventive screening and early detection. Common tests such as CBCs and lipid profiles are now being used for regular tracking rather than one-off diagnosis.

Geographically, the report highlights the expanding role of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in shaping India’s health consumption patterns. These cities recorded faster growth than metros across categories such as vitamins, diagnostics, sexual wellness and fitness. They also placed significantly more SOS-style orders, indicating a mix of episodic and preventive care adoption. Importantly, a large share of first-time buyers came from non-metro markets, pointing to widening access and rising health awareness beyond major urban centres.

Lifestyle choices were clearly reflected in buying behaviour. Digestive health products and antacids featured in nearly every second household, with demand spiking sharply on Sundays—linked to indulgent weekend eating habits. Morning orders were dominated by routine restocking of supplements and daily-use medicines, while late-night orders reflected long-term care needs rather than urgent treatment.

Overall, the findings point to a structural change in how India approaches healthcare. The focus is steadily shifting from panic-led, illness-driven decisions to planned, preventive and habit-based health management, marking a significant evolution in the country’s health journey.