Community pharmacy customer segmentation based on factors influencing their selection of pharmacy and over-the-counter medicines.

BACKGROUND: Within the competitive pharmacy market environment, community pharmacies are required to develop efficient marketing strategies based on contemporary information about consumer behavior in order to attract clients and develop customer loyalty. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the consumers' preferences concerning the selection of pharmacy and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, and to identify customer segments in relation to these preferences. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and March 2016 on a convenient quota sample of 300 participants recruited in the metropolitan area of Thessaloniki, Greece. The main instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire with close-ended, multiple choice questions. To identify customer segments, Two-Step cluster analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Three distinct pharmacy customer clusters emerged. Customers of the largest cluster (49%; 'convenience customers') were mostly younger consumers. They gave moderate to positive ratings to factors affecting the selection of pharmacy and OTCs; convenience, and previous experience and the pharmacist's opinion, received the highest ratings. Customers of the second cluster (35%; 'loyal customers') were mainly retired; most of them reported visiting a single pharmacy. They gave high ratings to all factors that influence pharmacy selection, especially the pharmacy's staff, and factors influencing the purchase of OTCs, particularly previous experience and the pharmacist's opinion. Customers of the smallest cluster (16%; 'convenience and price-sensitive customers') were mainly retired or unemployed with low to moderate education, and low personal income. They gave the lowest ratings to most of the examined factors; convenience among factors influencing pharmacy selection, whereas previous experience, the pharmacist's opinion and product price among those affecting the purchase of OTCs, received the highest ratings. CONCLUSIONS: The community pharmacy market comprised of distinct customer segments that varied in the consumer preferences concerning the selection of pharmacy and OTCs, the evaluation of pharmaceutical services and products, and demographic characteristics.

[Medical and entrepreneurial character of the community pharmacy]. / Zdravotnícky a podnikatelský charakter lekárne.

UNLABELLED: Community pharmacy provides citizens with pharmaceutical care and runs its health care business on the market with state regulatory interventions. These restrictions affect its stability and because of that it has to be constantly monitored. The convenient way of monitoring the financial health of a community pharmacy is the use of financial analysis and its outcomes that are profitability, liquidity, debt and productivity ratios. The aim of this paper was to determine the economic situation in the public pharmacy services in Slovakia. A representative set of community pharmacies was established that reflected the criteria of localization by regions in Slovakia, the size of the city or municipality and the legal form of the subject. The financial analysis for the years 2007-2012 showed a declining return on sales (in 2012 to 1.98 %), a decreasing current liquidity (in 2012 to 1.87 %), a declining quick ratio (in 2012 to 1.08 %), a decrease in the time receivables turnover (in 2012 to 53.8 days), a slight increase in the inventory turnover time - days sales in inventory (in 2012 to 36.5 days) and increased turnover time commitments - liabilities turnover (in 2012 to 86.3 days). KEYWORDS: community pharmacy financial health profitability liquidity productivity.

[Globalization and its impact on pharmacy services in the Slovak Republic]. / Globalizácia a jej dopady v lekárenstve SR.

Public pharmacies are excellent medical facilities having the largest number of contacts with patients. They are the facilities of the first and last contact with the health care system for the patient. Public pharmacies are unique and easily accessible places in the health care system with a high proficiency in the provision of pharmaceutical care and highly qualified medical staff. The aim of this paper was to determine geographical-demographic situation, the legal form of the ownership of public pharmacies, and the owner share of pharmacists on the capital of public pharmacies in Slovakia. The number on of providers of pharmaceutical care depends on the population at the level of regions, districts, towns and villages with differing tightness of binding. The most common legal form of the provider of pharmaceutical care in Slovakia in public pharmacies were limited companies with 73.6% share, a sole proprietor - pharmacist had 23.9%, and public limited companies had 1.3%. In the branches of public pharmacies the limited companies had 73.4% share, a sole proprietor - pharmacist had 26%, public limited companies had 1%. The owner share of the pharmacist on the capital in public pharmacies was 50.4%, and in the branches of public pharmacies it was 66%, owned by a sole proprietor or limited company.

[A view on providing care in the field of medicines in Slovakia - the pharmacist and the patient]. / Pohlad na poskytovanie starostlivosti v oblasti liekov na Slovensku - lekárnik a pacient.

The paper deals with the evaluation of care provided in a public pharmacy in terms of achieving patient / customer satisfaction. Expectations and opinions of patients are also confronted with the assumptions of pharmacists. Up to 82% of patients confirmed their satisfaction with the care given to them by the pharmacist. A key factor of patient satisfaction has proved particularly professional and human approach of pharmacist. 73.6% of patients in the survey accepted pharmacist as an expert on drugs. Pharmacist self-evaluation was more negative. Monitoring and evaluation of patient satisfaction with care delivered in the pharmacy is essential for the improvement of the quality of the health system and the implementation of pharmaceutical care focussed on the patient. The real application of pharmaceutical care in the practice currently lacks the necessary conditions and support.