Influence of Sales Promotion Techniques on Consumers’ Purchasing Decisions at Community Pharmacies

This research aims to identify the most prevalent and impactful sales promotion tools used by pharmaceutical companies on consumers’ purchasing decisions at community pharmacies. A cross-sectional study design was carried out using the non-repeated random sampling technique. Standardized questionnaires were administered by means of face-to-face interviews or via emails. The relative importance of prevalence (RIP) and the mean evaluation of effectiveness (MEE) were determined for all studied marketing tools for the different groups of respondents (pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs), community pharmacists, consumers, and the entire sample). Inter-individual differences in RIP and MEE were assessed by computing the coefficient of variation, whereas inter-group differences were determined by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the Scheffé test as a post-hoc test. Research findings showed that, according to all respondents, the consumer promotion technique had the strongest impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions while merchandising was the most common sales promotion technique at community pharmacies. PSRs and pharmacists identified trade promotion as the most effective and prevalent technique. Furthermore, research findings showed that, according to all respondents, the following sales promotion tools had the strongest impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions: arrangement and design of showcases among the studied tools for merchandising; buy 1 and get 2 among the studied tools for consumer promotion; and gifts among the trade promotion studied tools. The same tools were identified as the most prevalent by all respondents. Free samples of promoted products appeared to be the most prevalent tool, but at the same time was the least effective. In conclusion, the results of the present research enable an understanding of which sales promotion tools are commonly used at community pharmacies and which ones have the strongest impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions.

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STUDY OF PREVALENCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF PROMOTIONAL TECHNIQUES IN RETAIL PHARMACEUTICAL MARKET

MODERN ORGANIZATION OF DRUG SUPPLY ◽

10.30809/solo.4.2020.2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 14-24

Author(s):

Said Y. Ben ◽

N.V. Pyatigorskaya

Keyword(s):

Ad Hoc ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Pharmaceutical Market ◽

Digital Marketing ◽

Purchasing Decisions ◽

Sales Representatives ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Pharmaceutical Sales ◽

Common Opinion

This research aims to identify the most effective and prevalent promotional techniques used in retail pharmaceutical market. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) using the non-repeated random sampling technique. Ad hoc developed questionnaires were administered by means of face-to-face interviews or online via web software Sphinx (Python Documentation Generator). The relative importance of prevalence and the mean evaluation of effectiveness were determined for all studied marketing tools and for all groups of respondents (pharmaceutical sales representatives, community pharmacists, consumers, and the entire sample). Based on the results obtained, studied promotional techniques were ranked for prevalence and effectiveness. ANOVA and Scheffé test were used for determining the inter-group differences in average values of prevalence and in mean evaluation of effectiveness, while inter-individual differences were assessed by computing the coefficient of variation. Research findings showed that, according to all respondents, the most effective promotion technique was digital marketing, how- ever, all respondents considered digital marketing to be the least prevalent promotion technique. According to consumers and to the common opinion of all respondents, the most prevalent promotion technique in community pharmacies was merchandising, but, according to consumers, pharmaceutical sales representatives and common opinion of all respondents, the strength of impact of merchandising on consumers’ purchasing decisions (perceived effectiveness) was the least. The results of the present research contribute to the theory of pharmaceutical marketing; they may be useful to regulatory policy specialists, providing the better un- derstanding of which promotion techniques are commonly used in the retail pharmaceutical market; they can help pharmaceutical companies to focus on the most effective promotion methods, identifying which of promotion techniques are perceived as the most effective for marketing communication and having the strongest impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions.

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Community Pharmacists’ Practice, Awareness, and Beliefs about Drug Disposal in Saudi Arabia

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9070823 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 823

Author(s):

Sultan Alghadeer ◽

Mohammed N. Al-Arifi

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Environmental Damage ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Take Back ◽

Medication Disposal

The awareness among Saudi people regarding the good and safe practice of drug disposal is fairly low. Community pharmacists’ potential toward drugs disposal directions and practice are not emphasized enough. Therefore, a cross sectional study was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to evaluate the practice, awareness and beliefs of community pharmacists about disposal of unused drugs. Out of 360 subjects who participated in the study, more than 70% returned the unused drugs to the pharmaceutical distributors. Around 80% of the participants confirmed the risk of environmental damage due to the inappropriate disposal of drugs, and 87.5% of them held themselves responsible for preventing such risk. Approximately 85% of surveyed pharmacists believed community pharmacies to be an appropriate location for the collection of unused drugs. There was no significant association between the community pharmacists’ age group and years of practice as community pharmacists with either the awareness of unused medication disposal on environmental hazards, or the beliefs about the appropriate location for collecting unused drugs (p > 0.05). The awareness and proactive accountable responsibility, along with community pharmacists’ belief of appointing pharmacies to collect unused drugs, strongly support the institution of drug take-back programs.

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Knowledge, perceptions and practices of pharmacists regarding generic substitution in China: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051277 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. e051277

Author(s):

Jinghan Qu ◽

Wei Zuo ◽

Shaohong Wang ◽

Liping Du ◽

Xin Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Generic Substitution ◽

Generic Drugs ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Knowledge Score ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

True Value

ObjectiveTo evaluate pharmacists’ knowledge, perceptions and practices towards generic substitution in the 11 pilot locations in China.DesignAn online cross-sectional survey using questionnaires was conducted. A convenience sampling technique was implemented to recruit pharmacists.Setting and participantsThe study took place in medical institutions of 11 pilot locations that participated in the pilot national centralised procurement programme in 2019. Two thousand two hundred and ninety-one pharmacists including hospital pharmacists or community pharmacists based on health-systems or clinics participated in the study.ResultsMost of the participants had the good knowledge of requirements for evaluating the quality and efficacy of generic drugs (n=2118; 92.4%), and the definition of generic drugs (n=2078; 90.7%). In terms of perceptions, 67.3% of respondents were of the opinion that generic drugs are equally as effective as the brand-name drugs, and 69.0% of respondents were of the opinion that generic drugs are as safe as brand equivalents. A high percentage of participants supported the policy of generic substitution (n=1634; 71.4%). A significant positive correlation was demonstrated between total knowledge score and total perception score (ρ=0.267; p<0.001). Efficacy, safety and the direction of national policies and hospital regulations were the main factors affecting pharmacists’ willingness to dispense generic drugs.ConclusionsThe study identified gaps in respondents’ knowledge and perceptions of generic substitution. Pharmacists who are more knowledgeable in generic drugs tend to hold a more supportive attitude towards generic substitution. Although it appeared that pharmacists in China have largely accepted generic substitution, they still have concerns regarding the reliability and quality of generic drugs. The current issues need to be addressed for the realisation of the true value of generic drugs as part of the country’s healthcare cost-containment strategy as well as the implementation of generic substitution policy in China.

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Community Pharmacists’ Perceptions towards the Misuse and Abuse of Pregabalin: A Cross-Sectional Study from Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9101281 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 1281

Author(s):

Sultan M. Alshahrani ◽

Khalid Orayj ◽

Ali M. Alqahtani ◽

Mubarak A. Algahtany

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Male Dominance ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

First Line ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

First Line Therapy ◽

Structured Questionnaire

Pregabalin is a first-line therapy for neuropathic pain and for chronic pain. It has abuse potential. This study was conducted to assess community pharmacists’ perceptions towards pregabalin abuse and misuse in the Aseer region, Saudi Arabia, and identify predictors and associated factors. A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire following a self-administrative study was conducted across community pharmacies in the Aseer region (Abha, Khamis Mushait, Mahayel, Sarat Abeeda, Ahad-Rufaida, and Bishah). A total of 206 respondents from community pharmacists participated in the study. Over the last six months, 136 respondents (66.0%) suspected pregabalin abuse in community pharmacies; male dominance in pregabalin abusers was also recorded (n = 165, 80.1%). Additionally, 40 (19.4%) respondents stated that a prescription was not issued for pregabalin demands. Over half (61.7%) of community pharmacists recorded an increased change in pregabalin abuse compared to the previous year. This is the first study to explore pharmacists’ perceptions in the community of the Aseer region towards customers’ misuse and abuse of pregabalin. Further monitoring and regulations on the prescribing and procurement of pregabalin are needed to avoid abuse.

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Prescribing practices using WHO prescribing indicators and factors associated with antibiotic prescribing in six community pharmacies in Asmara, Eritrea: a cross-sectional study

Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control ◽

10.1186/s13756-019-0620-5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Nebyu Daniel Amaha ◽

Dawit G. Weldemariam ◽

Nuru Abdu ◽

Eyasu H. Tesfamariam

Keyword(s):

Sampling Technique ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Essential Medicines ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Antibiotic Prescribing ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Prescribing Practices ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Prescribing Indicators ◽

Factors Affecting

Abstract Background Antibiotics require more prudent prescribing, dispensing and administration than other medicines because these medicines are at a greater risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Studying the current medicine use practices and factors affecting the prescribing of an antibiotic would help decision makers to draft policies that would enable a more rational use of medicines. Methods A prospective, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the current prescribing practices including antibiotics use in six community pharmacies in Asmara. A total of 600 encounters were reviewed using the WHO core prescribing indicators between May 5 and May 12, 2019 using stratified random sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were employed using IBM SPSS® (version 22). Results The average number of medicines per prescription was 1.76 and 83.14% of the medicines were prescribed using generic names while 98.39% of the medicines were from the National Essential Medicines List (NEML). The percentage of prescriptions containing antibiotics was 53%. The number of encounters containing injections was 7.8%. Patient age, gender and number of medicines prescribed were significantly associated with antibiotic prescribing at bivariate and multivariable models. Subjects under the age of 15 were approximately three times more likely to be prescribed antibiotic compared to subjects whose age is 65 and above (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 2.93, 95%CI: 1.71–5). Similarly, males were more likely to be prescribed antibiotic than females (AOR: 1.57, 95%CI: 1.10–2.24). Subjects to whom three to four medicines prescribed were two times more likely to be prescribed an antibiotic compared to those who were to be prescribed one to two medicines per encounter (AOR: 2.17, 95%CI: 1.35–3.5). A one-unit increase in the number of medicines increased the odds of antibiotic prescribing increased by 2.02 units (COR: 2.02; 95%CI: 1.62–2.52). Conclusions This study found that the percentage of antibiotics being prescribed at the community pharmacies in Asmara was 53% which deviated significantly from the WHO recommended values (20–26.8%). Furthermore, the percentage of encounters with an injection was 7.8% lower than the WHO value of 13.4–24.0%. Patients’ age, gender and number of medicines were significantly associated with antibiotic prescribing.

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The Needs and Resources of Drug Information at Community Pharmacies in Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2017/8310636 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dessalegn Asmelashe Gelayee ◽

Gashaw Binega Mekonnen ◽

Mequanent Kassa Birarra

Keyword(s):

Treatment Guidelines ◽

Drug Information ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Northwest Ethiopia ◽

Information Resources ◽

National Standard ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Cross Sectional

Background. Community pharmacists are in a key position to provide information on drugs and thus promote the rational use of drugs. Objectives. The present study was designed to determine the needs and resources of drug information in community pharmacies. Methods. A prospective institution based cross-sectional study was carried out and data were collected on 48 community pharmacists in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia, using interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Results. Almost all pharmacists (N=47, 97.9%) often receive drug related queries and these were mainly from consumers (N=41, 85.4%). While most questions relate to drug price (N=29, 60.4%) and dosage (N=21, 43.8%), the information resources mainly referred to were drug package inserts and national standard treatment guidelines. However, limited availability of information resources as well as limited ability to retrieve relevant information influenced the practice of pharmacists. Female pharmacists claimed better use of different information resources than males (P<0.05). Conclusions. Community pharmacists in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia, are often accessed for drug related information. But there are limitations in using up to date and most reliable resources. Therefore, intervention aimed at improving pharmacists’ access to and evaluation of drug information is urgently needed.

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Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude among Pharmacists toward Pharmaceutical Care in Eastern Ethiopia

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/7657625 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kirubel Minsamo Mishore ◽

Abraham Nigussie Mekuria ◽

Assefa Tola ◽

Yohanes Ayele

Keyword(s):

Pharmaceutical Care ◽

Care Service ◽

Development Program ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Eastern Ethiopia ◽

Dire Dawa ◽

Knowledge And Attitude

Objective. To assess knowledge and attitudes toward pharmaceutical care service among hospital and community pharmacists working in Harar and Dire Dawa town, Eastern Ethiopia. Method. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among pharmacists working in hospital and community pharmacies, 2018. A total of 43 health settings (6 hospital and 37 community pharmacies) were involved in this study. All pharmacists who met the inclusion criteria were selected using a purposive sampling technique to take part in the study. The pretested structured self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. The collected data was coded, entered, and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. The findings were presented by frequencies and percentages, and summary measures were displayed using tables. Chi-Square test and Fisher’s exact test were performed to determine the association between sociodemographic characteristics and the level of knowledge and attitude about pharmaceutical care. The study protocol was approved by the Harar Health Sciences College Research Ethics Review Committee. Results. A total of seventy-eight pharmacists were included in the study with a response rate of 97.5%. The mean age (±Standard Deviation (SD)) of the study participants was 32.47 ± 7.42 years, and the majority (88.3%) of the respondents were males. 56.4% of the respondents were working in the hospitals while 43.6% were working in community pharmacy. Overall, 85.9% of the respondents had good knowledge of pharmaceutical care. The types of training curriculum of the participants showed an association with the attitude of pharmacists (P value = 0.022). Similarly, pharmacists’ knowledge was associated with their practice setting (P value = 0.008). Conclusion. The majority of pharmacists are knowledgeable about PC. However, nearly half of the pharmacists had an unfavorable attitude toward pharmaceutical care. Harari Regional and Dire Dawa City Health Bureaus should organize and provide in-service training on pharmaceutical care to pharmacists working in community and hospital pharmacies. Furthermore, the bureaus should advocate pharmaceutical care as one area in a continuous professional development program.

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Effect of COVID-19 on the Treatment of Infections by Community Pharmacists in Nigeria

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research ◽

10.15416/pcpr.v5i3.29262 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 106

Author(s):

Edidiong Orok ◽

Success David ◽

Chiemezie Ibegwam

Keyword(s):

Community Pharmacists ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Access To Healthcare ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sexually Transmitted ◽

Tract Infections ◽

The Way

been one of the most affected since the pandemic has limited their access to healthcare everywhere in the world including Nigeria. Reduced access to healthcare services in hospitals has caused an increase in the number of patient visits to the community pharmacies. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment of infections by community pharmacists. This study was a prospective cross-sectional study that was carried out among community pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Ibadan, Oyo state and Uyo, Akwa Ibom state due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases from July until August 2020. Data was collected through a pre-tested online questionnaire which was sent to the pharmacists upon provision of consent after the purpose of the study was explained. A total of one hundred and twenty two pharmacists consented to participate in this study out of which 65 (53.3%) were female. Malaria (81, 66.4%), respiratory tract infections (40, 32.8%) and sexually transmitted infections (1, 0.8%) were identified as infections with the highest frequency by the community pharmacists, while more than 96% (118) pharmacists reported that COVID-19 has affected the way they manage or treat other infections seen in their pharmacy. This study shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the way community pharmacists treat other infections in the community pharmacy setting. More studies are needed to explore the specific nature of this effect on specific infections.

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Nature and extent of counseling practice in community pharmacies in Sulaimani city, Iraq: A cross-sectional study

Zanco Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.15218/zjms.2021.035 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 686-691

Author(s):

Khanda Hamasalih ◽

Walid Nitham

Keyword(s):

Community Pharmacists ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Patient Counseling ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Utilization Of Health Services ◽

Written Form ◽

Counseling Practices

Background and objective: Community pharmacists play an important role in the best use of drugs and in improving patient outcomes. Evidence demonstrates that pharmacists' counseling improves the quality of life, clinical outcomes, and drug and disease knowledge and reduces the utilization of health services. This study aimed to investigate the nature and extent of counseling practices of community pharmacists in community pharmacies in Sulaimani region of Kurdistan, Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in community pharmacies in Sulaimani city, in a one-month duration from November to December 2020. The sample size was 100 community pharmacies, which were selected randomly. The data were stored and analyzed using Excel 2016 and expressed as frequencies and percentages. Results: According to the completed questionnaires, about 78.8% of pharmacists would do counseling spontaneously each time they dispense any drug. Only 61% of the pharmacists would ask the patients if they understood what was said during their communication to assess the understanding of advice given to their patients. The most common barrier observed during patient counseling was the patient's lack of time. Conclusion: This study indicates that community pharmacists counsel the patients in an appropriate way. They provide information orally and in written form. However, further research is needed to evaluate the quality of patient counseling by using different methods like pseudo-patient methodology to gain real counseling data. Keywords: Counselling; Community pharmacist; Community pharmacy; Counselling barriers.

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Perception of Community Pharmacists towards Dispensing Errors in Community Pharmacy Setting in Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2017/2137981 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Dessalegn Asmelashe Gelayee ◽

Gashaw Binega Mekonnen

Keyword(s):

Community Pharmacists ◽

Educational Status ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Northwest Ethiopia ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Gondar Town ◽

Dispensing Errors

Background. Dispensing errors are inevitable occurrences in community pharmacies across the world. Objective. This study aimed to identify the community pharmacists’ perception towards dispensing errors in the community pharmacies in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 47 community pharmacists selected through convenience sampling. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U test, and Pearson’s Chi-square test of independence were conducted with P≤0.05 considered statistically significant. Result. The majority of respondents were in the 23–28-year age group (N=26, 55.3%) and with at least B.Pharm degree (N=25, 53.2%). Poor prescription handwriting and similar/confusing names were perceived to be the main contributing factors while all the strategies and types of dispensing errors were highly acknowledged by the respondents. Group differences (P<0.05) in opinions were largely due to educational level and age. Conclusion. Dispensing errors were associated with prescribing quality and design of dispensary as well as dispensing procedures. Opinion differences relate to age and educational status of the respondents.

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