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Effects of Demographic Characteristics and Consumer Behavior in the selection of Retail Pharmacies and Over-the-Counter Medicine

D.P. Kevrekidis

D.P. Kevrekidis

Comenius University in Bratislava Faculty of Pharmacy, Univerzita Komenskeho v Bratislave Farmaceuticka FakultaBratislava, SLOVAKIA
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Kevrekidis, D.P.
, 
D. Mináriková

D. Mináriková

Comenius University in Bratislava Faculty of Pharmacy, Univerzita Komenskeho v Bratislave Farmaceuticka FakultaBratislava, SLOVAKIA
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Mináriková, D.
 and 
A. Markos

A. Markos

Democritus University of Thrace School of Education, Demokriteio Panepistemio Thrakes Schole Epistemon AgogesAlexandroupolis, GREECE
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Markos, A.
  
Mar 01, 2022
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Article Category: Original Paper
Published Online: Mar 01, 2022
Page range: 27 - 40
Received: Apr 14, 2018
Accepted: Jun 01, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/afpuc-2021-0017
Keywords
© 2021 D.P. Kevrekidis et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Aim

The study aimed to provide new insights into consumer behaviour by identifying the key demographic factors that influence the choice of pharmacy and over-the-counter (OTC) medicine.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban area (Thessaloniki, Greece), surveying a convenience sample of 314 consumers with a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using the chi-square test, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and Spearman's rho correlation coefficient.

Results

Respondents with a lower educational level and retired consumers tended to make their purchases in a single pharmacy (p < 0.001). Older participants were more likely to consider the pharmacy staff and additional services to be important factors (p < 0.01). Students were the only group to prefer a formal relationship with the pharmacy staff (p < 0.001). Participants with a lower educational level tended to know exactly what they would buy (p < 0.05), whereas women made more unscheduled purchases of OTCs (p < 0.05). Respondents with a higher income assigned more importance to the product's country of origin (p < 0.05) and manufacturing company (p < 0.01) and less importance to the pharmacist's opinion than those of a lower income (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The educational level, occupation and age of consumers have a marked effect in their selection of pharmacy, and along with gender and personal income, in their choice of OTC medicine. Our findings yield implications for the management of community pharmacies.
Language:
English
Publication timeframe:
2 times per year
Journal Subjects:
Pharmacy, Pharmacy, other
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