The major digitalis producing countries are the United States, UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and the former USSR. In most of these countries D. lanata is the source drug. Some 1,000 tonnes of plant material are required annually to meet the world demand. In the long term patients require about 1 mg per day and the worldwide use of the drug now amounts to several thousand kilograms per year.

Though not indigenous to India, digitalis is cultivated chiefly in Himachal Pradesh (Solan), Kashmir, Darjeeling in West Bengal and Nilgiri hills (Kodaikanal) in Tamil Nadu. The total annual demand for the drug in India is estimated at more than 30 quintals. The price of digitoxin in the international market is very high upto Rs.22, 620/kg, while digoxin costs 17,267/kg. The total cost of the raw material imported into India comes to crores of rupees.