https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0205-2440
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ABSTRACT
The digital transformation movement persuaded many pharma companies towards greater adoption of digital marketing and e-commerce. This was accelerated even more by the COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, this study aims to explore the general perception and attitude of consumers in Malaysia regarding the use of online shopping and digital marketing tactics for OTC drugs. Thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted between September and November 2020. A thematic content analysis approach was used to analyse the qualitative data. Key themes emerging from the interviews included: (1) general perception of OTC drug consumers regarding digital marketing; (2) attitude of consumers towards the purchase of OTC drugs; (3) factors affecting OTC drug consumer behaviour; and (4) perception of consumers towards online advertisements for OTC drugs. The majority of the study participants believe that digital marketing has a direct or indirect impact on their purchasing decisions as OTC consumers. Although most rely mainly on offline purchases for OTC products, they have shown a willingness to increase their adoption of online purchasing methods, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak. These findings can be useful to public and private healthcare managers on a practical level.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express their gratitude to Prof. Dr. Mohamed Azmi Hassali, who provided expertise that greatly assisted the research. A special appreciation also goes to Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for support this research.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article [and/or] its supplementary materials.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Mohamad Saleem Anis
Dr. Mohamad Saleem Anis obtained his bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the University of Aleppo, Syria. He moved to Malaysia for his postgraduate study and completed his Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Healthcare Management from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in 2019. He recently obtained his PhD at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). He has a particular research interest in several areas, including social and administrative pharmacy, pharmaceutical marketing, healthcare management, e-health, patient/consumer purchasing behaviour, self-medication, pharmacy practice, and pharmaceutical public health.
Mei Lan Tan
Dr. Mei Lan Tan is an Associate Professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. She is also a Registered Pharmacist. Her main research interests include drug-herb and drug-food interaction studies in various aspects such as the cytochromes P450, membrane drug transporters and hERG potassium channel. She aims to provide extensive safety information and drug-herb-food interaction risks data on local functional food and herbal components to promote the appropriate use of supplements and herbal medicine. Her other interests include drug & OTC purchasing behaviour, digital marketing & other aspects of pharmacy practice.