FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMER CHOICE OF PHARMACIES: ETHICAL AND COMPETITIVE DIMENSIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/2312-0967.2025.2.15414Keywords:
consumer behavior, competitive advantages, pharmaceutical ethics, customer loyalty, service qualityAbstract
The aim of the work: to identify and analyze the factors influencing consumers’ choice of pharmacy outlets.
Materials and Methods. This study was conducted under the research program of the Department of Pharmacy Management, Economics and Technology at I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. Data were collected via an online survey (Google Forms) using closed questions covering 17 selection criteria (X1–X17). The sample comprised pharmacy consumers; the required sample size was calculated using Kolmogorov’s sampling method. Data were analyzed by a priori ranking in Microsoft Excel.
Results and Discussion. The highest mean ratings were awarded to pharmacists’ professional competence (X7) and service quality and speed (X8) (mean score: 9.8). Price accessibility (X9) received a mean score of 9.6, convenient location (X2) 9.4, and wide product assortment (X3) 9.2. Digital services—online ordering with delivery (X12) and priority handling of internet orders (X13)—also played a significant role. Discount and loyalty programs (X10, X11) emerged as key competitive advantages. A majority of respondents (72.8 %) reported loyalty to specific pharmacy chains. Younger consumers assigned higher importance to online marketing tools, whereas older participants prioritized the national “Affordable Medicines” program (X4), underscoring the ethical dimension of medicine accessibility.
Conclusions. Effective performance of pharmacies in a highly competitive market requires a balanced integration of professional ethics, high-quality service, competitive pricing, and strategic marketing. A detailed understanding of consumer preferences enhances customer loyalty and strengthens the pharmacy’s role as a socially responsible healthcare provider.
References
Huettner F, Boyacı T, Akçay Y. Consumer choice under limited attention when alternatives have different information costs. Oper Res. 2019;67(3):671–99. DOI: 10.1287/opre.2018.1828 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.2018.1828
Kirsanov D. [Infrastructure of pharmacy retail: trend towards restoration of extensive consolidation]. Aptieka online. Ukrainian. Available from: https://www.apteka.ua/article/622632
Poplavska VV. Theoretical fundamentals and models of branding: accounting aspects. J Zhytomyr State Technol Univ Ser Econ Manag Adm. 2019;1:101–8. DOI: 10.26642/jen-2019-1(87)-111-108 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26642/jen-2019-1(87)-111-108
Hladkova O, Bratishko Yu, Derenska Ya. [Competitive advantages of pharmacies and their management]. Ekonomika ta suspilstvo. 2022;(35). DOI: 10.32782/2524-0072/2022-35-22. Ukrainian. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32782/2524-0072/2022-35-22
Holdford DA. Using service blueprints to visualize pharmacy innovations. Pharmacy (Basel). 2019;7(2):43. DOI: 10.3390/pharmacy7020043 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy7020043
Horbunova K. [Pharmacy Summit–2017: pharmacies in the modern electronic world]. Apteka online. 2018;(1). Ukrainian. Available from: https://www.apteka.ua/article/440131
Posilkina O, Mala Zh, Bondarieva I. Development of methodical approaches to the assortment management of pharmacy networks by principles of category management. Sci J SciRise Pharm Sci. 2019;1(17):4–11. DOI: 10.15587/2519-4852.2019.157601 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15587/2519-4852.2019.157601
Podzihun SM, Harmatyuk OV. [Branding as a tool for enhancing the competitiveness of pharmaceutical enterprises]. Pidpryiemnytstvo i torhivlia. 2021;31:33-7. Ukrainian. DOI: 10.36477/2522-1256-2021-31-05 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36477/2522-1256-2021-31-05
Popova IA, Demchenko N, Shved AB. Trends in the development of the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine in the conditions of martial law. Bus Inform. 2023;4(543):203–9. DOI: 10.32983/2222-4459-2023-4-203-209 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32983/2222-4459-2023-4-203-209
Dub A, et al. [Employee motivation during wartime as a component of professional pharmaceutical ethics: analysis and improvement paths]. Sotsialna farmatsiia v okhoroni zdorovia. 2025;11(1):39–48. DOI: 10.24959/sphhcj.25.350 Ukrainian. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24959/sphhcj.25.350
Sverdаn PL. Vyshcha matematуka. Analiz informatsii u farmatsii ta medytsyni [Higher mathematics. Information analysis in pharmacy and medicine]. Lviv: Svit; 1998. 332 p. Ukrainian.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Pharmaceutical Review / Farmacevtičnij časopis
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The authors who publish their materials in this journal agree with the following terms:
- Authors reserve the right to authorship of their work and assign to the journal the right to first publish this work under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows other persons to freely distribute the published work with a mandatory reference to the authors of original work and the first publication of work in this journal
. - Authors have the right to make independent extra-exclusive work agreements in the form they are published by this journal (for example, posting work in an electronic repository of an institution or publishing as part of a monograph), provided that the link to the first publication of the work in this journal is maintained.
Journal policy allows and encourages publication of manuscripts on the Internet (for example, in institutions repositories or on personal websites), both before the publication of this manuscript and during its editorial review, as it contributes to productive scientific discussion and positively affects the efficiency and dynamics of the citation of the published work (see The Effect of Open Access).
