FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR OF RETAIL PHARMACISTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS. (CASE STUDY: MAURITIUS ISLAND) YEAR 2008 BY Sanjiv.D.R.Brigemohane ( MSc (Hons) Pharmacy (Russia), MBA (Strategic Planning) (UK) , MSc International Business Management (UoM) ). E-mail: drbrige@gmail.com

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ABSTRACT

                                                    

  

                                      ABSTRACT                          

                                     

          With new generics and brands entering the market and competing for market share,understanding the different factors that influence the purchasing behaviour of retail pharmacists in the market is of crucial importance for pharmaceutical drug suppliers.

         The main purpose of the present study was to determine what factors influence the purchasing behaviour of retail pharmacists in the country for over-the-counter drugs. This study sought to answer the following questions:

 

 1) How these factors acted on the purchasing behaviour of retail pharmacists?

 2) If differences exist between the purchasing behaviour of two types of retail pharmacists in the country, namely retail pharmacists who are owners of the pharmacy and retail pharmacists who are not owners of the pharmacy?

 

          As very little research has been carried out on this issue in Mauritius, a descriptive research method was used to target 215 retail pharmacists in the country.A satisfactory number of 107 retail pharmacists responded by deadline to the survey which is a representative sample of the whole population.The study found that there are different factors that variably influence the purchasing behaviour of retail pharmacists for over-the-counter drugs. The findings demonstrate that there are both similarities and differences between retail pharmacists who are owners of the pharmacy (P/O) and those who are not owners of the pharmacy (P/N).Infuencers like medical representatives act similarly on both types of retail pharmacists while factors like profit margin highly influences the purchasing behaviour of 82% of retail pharmacists who are owners of the pharmacy compared to only 39 % of retail pharmacists who are not owners of the pharmacy. Other important factors have been found that highly differentiates between the two types of retail pharmacists.

           This study represents an important contribution to the pharmaceutical sector .By investigating the purchasing behaviour of retail pharmacists; it will enable pharmaceutical suppliers and wholesalers of over-the-counter drugs to develop better marketing strategies in order to target the different segments of retail pharmacists in the market.

 

 

 

Table of contents :

ABSTRACT

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Section 1 :INTRODUCTION

Section 2: Research Methodology

Section3: Literature Review

Section 4: Data Collection and Analysis

                    Results of the sampling plan and profiles of the respondents

Section 5 : An analysis of the influence of different people on the purchasing behaviour of retail pharmacists

Section 6 : Analysing 23 different factors that influence the purchasing behaviour of  retail  pharmacists for OTC drugs  

Section 7 : An analysis of the different channels and sources of information use by retail pharmacists and that influence their purchasing behaviour for OTC drugs  .

Section 8 : An analysis of the direct and indirect influence of the promotional displays of OTC drugs on the purchasing behaviour of retail  pharmacists.

Section 9 : An analysis of the influence of the different types of benefits from suppliers on the purchasing behaviour of retail pharmacists for OTC drugs.

Section 10 : An analysis of the different factors that have negative impacts on the purchasing behaviour of retail pharmacists for OTC drugs.

Section 11 : CONCLUSION

                        Similarities and differences between retail pharmacists who  are owners of the pharmacy (P/O) and those who are not owners of the  pharmacy (P/N).

                          THE QUESTIONNAIRE

 

 

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Introduction

Introduction