The Shift in Customer Behaviour Toward Using E-Pharmacies to Purchase Medications
Pharmaceutical Science- Pharmacy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22376/ijlpr.2023.13.SP1.P19-36Keywords:
E-pharmacies, Medicines, Online Pharmacy, Customers, PurchaseAbstract
Abstract: Customers can visit and purchase medications from e-pharmacies online without visiting a pharmacy. However, there are always two sides to every story. Some clients choose to buy prescription drugs online. Anyone can now purchase anything online, including groceries, clothing, and electronics, thanks to the advancement of digital technology and the expansion of ecommerce platforms. As a result, purchasing prescription medications online has emerged as the new standard during this pandemic crisis. E-pharmacies are a cutting-edge and fascinating business idea that has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare sector. By doing away with middlemen, these online pharmacies that are entering the Indian market want to improve the availability of pharmaceuticals. This research attempts to examine and analyze the changing trends in medicine purchases. The project's objective is to understand how customers feel about online pharmacies and whether or not they will utilize them in the future. The sample size for the study was 520, and 12 items were included in the questionnaire presented to respondents. The results show that although only 46.34 per cent of respondents currently use e-pharmacies, 89.03 per cent of respondents are willing to use them in the future. According to the survey questionnaire, contactless delivery and convenience were the main factors influencing people to buy drugs from online pharmacies. The study sample could not be typical of the overall population of India, which is the research's main flaw. Despite the gradual pace, people are starting to change how they buy drugs from online pharmacies. The COVID-19 outbreak made drug purchases through online pharmacies easier.
References
Agarwal S., Bhardwaj G. A. study of consumer buying behaviour towards E-pharmacies in Delhi NCR. International Journal of Forensic Engineering, 2021, 4 (4), 255 – 260.
www.cbo.gov/publication/57050 assessed on 02.04.2022. Prescription Drugs: Spending, Use, and Prices.
Gu S., Slusarczyk B., Hajizada S., Kovalyova I., Sakhbieva A. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Online Consumer Purchasing Behavior. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2021, 16, 2263–2281. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer16060125.
Fatima S, Malpani R, Sodhi S. E-Buying of Medicines: Trends and Factors Influencing Online Pharmacy. International Journal of Marketing and Business Communication 2019, 8, 1- 3.
Aithal A., Shabaraya A. R. Users Perspectives on Online Pharmacy Model. International Journal of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (IJHSP), 2018, 2, 1.
Srivastava M., Raina M. Consumers’ usage and adoption of e-pharmacy in India.International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing 2021, 15, 2, 235-250. doi:10.1108/ijphm-01-2020-0006
Gupta M. S. Consumer Buying Behavior towards E-Pharmacy. Dogo Rangsang Research Journal 2020,10.
Singh H., Majumdar A., Malviya N. E-Pharmacy impacts on society and pharma sector in the economical pandemic situation: a review. Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics 2020, 10(3), 335-340.
Pujari N. M. Study of consumer’s pharmaceutical buying behaviour towards prescription and non-prescription drugs. Journal of medical and health research 2016, 1(3), 10-18.
Salter S. M. Effectiveness of E-learning in pharmacy education. American journal of pharmaceutical education. 2014, 78(4), 1-7.
Singh H., Majumdar A., Malviya N. E-Pharmacy Impacts on Society and Pharma Sector in Economical Pandemic Situation: A Review. Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics 2020, 10(3-s), 335-340. http://dx.doi.org/10.22270/jddt.v10i3-s.4122.
Khan K., Koti, M. O. Explore the buying behaviour towards online purchase of medicines with special reference to netmeds. Journal of Hunan University（Natural Sciences）2018, 45, 12.
Aithal A., Shabaraya A. R. Users Perspectives on Online Pharmacy Model. International Journal of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (IJHSP), 2018, 2(1), 29-36. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1292790.
Krishnadas R., Renganathan R. Factors Determining the Customers' Intention to Purchase OTC Products through E-Pharmacies. INTI Journal 2022, 15, 1-13.
Dutta D., Bhattacharjee B. Consumer preference and buying pattern of medicines through e-pharmacy during the covid-19 pandemic in silchar, assam. Curr Trends Pharm Res. 2021; 8 (1): 192-211.
Jairoun A. A., Al‑Hemyari S. S., Abdulla N. M., El‑Dahiyat F., Jairoun M., ALTamimi S. K., Babar Z. U. D. Online medication purchasing during the Covid-19 pandemic: A pilot study from the United Arab Emirates. J of Pharm Policy and Pract 2021, 14, 38-45. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-021-00320-z.
Baid A. N., Ghosh A. Factors affecting the shift of consumers towards e-pharmacies. Sambodhi 2021,44(1), 39-45.
Di Crosta A., Ceccato I., Marchetti D., Malva P. L., Maiella R., Cannito L., Cipi M., Mammarella N., Palumbo R., Verrocchio M. C., Palumbo R., Domenico A. D. Psychological factors and consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS ONE 16(8), e0256095. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256095.
Fittler A., Vida R. G., Káplár M., Botz L. Consumers Turning to the Internet Pharmacy Market: Cross-
Sectional Study on the Frequency and Attitudes of Hungarian Patients Purchasing Medications Online. J Med Internet Res. 2018 Aug; 20(8): e11115. doi: 10.2196/11115.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2022 Jatin Gupta, Manoj Kumar Sharma, Dr. Mukesh Kumar Kumawat
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
