International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing

Boukamcha, Fayçal

2024 International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing

doi: 10.1108/ijphm-11-2022-0094

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the protection motivation theory’s (PMT) maladaptive coping response to anti-Covid-19 preventive persuasive appeals. PMT is based on coping appraisal that may lead to either an adaptive- or a maladaptive coping response. It has been suggested that the maladaptive coping response is not sufficiently investigated and can be represented by individuals’ resistance to anti-Covid-19 persuasive messages. It has been also supposed that resistance is predicted and modeled through a set of cognitive, affective and individual factors such as information processing style, fear arousal, gender and coping self-efficacy.Design/methodology/approachAn experiment and a survey were conducted online on a random sample of 290 individuals. The sample was divided into two groups, each of which was exposed to an anti-Covid-19 persuasive message.FindingsThe findings show that resistance to anti-Covid-19 persuasion is not directly predicted by the individual’s exposure to the message, but channeled through an affective and a cognitive process. It was also reported that resistance is predicted by both the reflective and the nonreflective information processing styles, which are in turn predicted by a high versus a low fear arousal. Fear arousal level was shown to be moderated by gender and coping self-efficacy.Originality/valueThis research brings additional insight to the PMT in so far that it highlights the maladaptive coping response through resistance to persuasion in a pandemic context.

Bhattacharyya, Atanu; Rana, Avinash; Imran Khan, Mohd

2024 International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing

doi: 10.1108/ijphm-03-2023-0024

Improving health outcomes requires a robust health-care service model that delivers cost-efficient services and increase customer patronage. The purpose of this study is to examine how service quality and convenience influence perceived value, satisfaction and customer patronage of health insurance policyholders. Based on contemporary research, this study further investigates the moderating role of trust, inertia, insurer type and word-of-mouth (WOM) on relationship between satisfaction and customer patronage.Design/methodology/approachThis study conceptualized the dimensions of SERVQUAL and SERVCON as drivers of perceived value leading to satisfaction and finally customer patronage in presence of four moderators. To test the hypotheses, data from 500 consumers who had a running health insurance policy was collected and analyzed using partial least square path modeling.FindingsThe results of this study showed service quality and convenience dimensions significantly affected perceived value. Perceived value strongly influenced satisfaction and customer patronage intentions. Satisfaction had a significant positive effect on patronage. WOM and trust moderated the satisfaction–patronage relationship for recommendation intention but not repurchase intention. The moderators had an indirect bearing on customer patronage.Social implicationsSuch an engagement ecosystem can be considered to be a revolution, as it will change the way businesses are conducted and how stakeholders interact with one another.Originality/valueThis study adapts and integrates the SERVQUAL and SERVCON models to health insurance domain. Second, this study conceptualizes a modified view of post-benefit convenience relevant for health insurance as policy renewal intention rather than returns/exchanges. This addresses a gap in the SERVCON scale's applicability to insurance services. This study also makes a novel attempt of examining implication of WOM and trust in health insurance domain.

Sheikh, Alireza; Asemani, Newsha

2024 International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing

doi: 10.1108/ijphm-03-2022-0026

This study aims to examine the influence of brand awareness on brand equity with the mediating role of brand association and perceived quality.Design/methodology/approachThis research is applied in terms of the objective and descriptive survey in terms of methodology because its objective is to describe the studied conditions or phenomena and also the relationship between research variables that have been conducted in the field method.FindingsThe results explained that 53% of respondents are female and 47% of respondents are male. Most respondents are between 30 and 40 years old, and the youngest respondents are less than 30 years old. Most respondents were specialists, and the 134 respondents were subspecialists. The results explained that the significance level of the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test for research variables is less than 0.05 and has an abnormal distribution. The abnormality of the data in this study directed the authors to use PLS software to analyze the data.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first time that research is prepared to study the impact of these marketing parameters on dentists’ prescription behavior.

Chou, Shihyu; Chen, Chi-Wen; Shen, Zi-Ling

2024 International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing

doi: 10.1108/ijphm-08-2023-0076

This study aims to explore how consumers’ purchase intentions concerning dietary supplements are affected by two pivotal factors: pharmacist professionalism and celebrity endorser attractiveness. In addition, this study investigates the moderating role of consumers’ awareness of product knowledge about dietary supplements in the relationship between brand trust and purchase intention.Design/methodology/approachThe research data was collected through online questionnaires from a convenience sample of 340 individuals residing in Taiwan. The research model, consisting of four hypotheses, was formulated based on a literature review. The partial least squares structural equation modeling technique was used for data analysis.FindingsThe findings indicate positive effects of both pharmacist professionalism and celebrity endorser attractiveness on dietary supplement brand trust. The results also suggest a significant impact of brand trust on purchase intention. Finally, product knowledge significantly moderates the relationship between brand trust and purchase intention.Practical implicationsThe findings from this study provide valuable insights for marketers, pharmacists and practitioners about the drivers of consumers’ dietary supplement purchase behavior. It will enable marketers to develop better strategies for the dietary supplement market segment.Originality/valueThis paper has made a significant contribution to the understanding of consumer buying intentions toward dietary supplements, addressing a gap in the literature. First, unlike previous research, this study considers both pharmacist professionalism and celebrity endorser attractiveness in the research model, effectively bridging this gap. Furthermore, this study identifies the pivotal role of brand trust as a critical factor in enhancing consumers’ purchase intentions toward dietary supplements, offering valuable insights for dietary supplement companies regarding consumer purchase decision-making.

Cheng, Boon-Liat; Cham, Tat-Huei; Gao, Zijie; Abd Rahim, Mohd Fairuz bin; Lau, Teck Chai; Dent, Michael M.

2024 International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing

doi: 10.1108/ijphm-06-2022-0057

The surge in pharmaceutical and health supplement usage among consumers aims to enhance personal well-being. This growing opportunity for pharmaceutical brands has resulted in increased market share and intensified industry competition. Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this study aims to identify the factors influencing Malaysians’ choices regarding pharmaceutical and health supplements. In addition, the variable of past behaviour was incorporated to account for consumer decisions based on prior experiences.Design/methodology/approachUsing purposive sampling, 300 questionnaires were gathered and analysed via Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and structural equation modelling technique via Analysis of Moment Structures software to validate the reliability of each variables and the postulated relationships within the research framework.FindingsResults revealed a pronounced impact of past behaviour on the intention to consume pharmaceutical and health supplements. The mediating role of perceived behavioural control in bridging past behaviour and consumption intention was also ascertained. Notably, the findings support the inclusion of past behaviour in the TPB as a pivotal determinant of intention.Originality/valueThe insights gleaned underscore the escalating trend of pharmaceutical consumption in Malaysia, providing strategies to enhance and maintain the competitive edge and market position of pharmaceutical brands.

Terres, Mellina da Silva; Rohden, Simoni F.; Sebastião, Letícia Vedolin

2024 International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing

doi: 10.1108/ijphm-04-2022-0034

The changes in the service context due to COVID-19 have challenged service marketers to understand and react to consumers’ feelings that impact their shopping behavior in services. Moreover, consumers had to face a challenging situation with an impact on mental health. This study aims to assess the impact of spirituality and compassionate love as coping mechanisms that might increase hope, which, in turn, decreases anxiety. Hope also mitigates the impact of fear on anxiety. The authors also investigate the mediate effect of hope in its relationship to spirituality and well-being during the pandemic in Brazil and its potential impact on services marketing.Design/methodology/approachTo investigate the relationship between fear, anxiety, hope, compassionate love, spirituality and well-being, the authors conducted an online survey with 469 Brazilians who had been in quarantine for more than 45 days. To conduct the investigation, the authors used a purposive sampling to reach respondents due to the exceptional situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsUsing a structural equation model, the authors found that hope is a mediator with a buffer effect on the relationships between anxiety and fear and between spirituality and anxiety. Moreover, the authors found that hope mediates the relationship between spirituality and well-being, leading to greater levels of well-being. Service companies in general can benefit from using these findings to better manage their relationships with consumers during and after COVID-19 pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample included only Brazilian respondents, and pre-pandemic well-being was not measured.Originality/valueThere is evidence that traumatic events (e.g. war) influence feelings and consumer behavior. The findings suggest that the adoption of practices related to spirituality during an extreme, stressful situation has an influence on people’s hope and potentially mitigates anxiety. Increasing spirituality and hope can also benefit perceptions of well-being. Besides, in this context, the authors recommend that service providers communicate unobservable elements in a transaction (e.g. care, safety) by providing observable signals of spirituality and hope to reduce negative emotions.

Gadge, Srushti; Kasera, Sneh; Yeravdekar, Rajiv; Singh, Ankit; Borlepawar, Vivek

2024 International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing

doi: 10.1108/ijphm-06-2023-0047

This paper aims to understand the underlying motivations and factors that drive millennials to embrace smartwatches as fashionable accessories, health monitoring tools and eco-friendly alternatives.Design/methodology/approachIn June–July 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted, gathering 285 complete responses through an online survey using convenience sampling. These responses were then analyzed to obtain valuable insights using structural equation modeling.FindingsThis study’s findings confirm the mediation effect of fashion innovativeness on the relationship between subjective norms and attitudes toward smartwatch usage (b = 0.034, lower limit confidence interval (LLCI) = 0.007, upper limit confidence interval (ULCI) = 0.086, p = 0.015). In addition, it highlights the mediating role of healthology in the association between subjective norms and attitudes toward using smartwatches (b = 0.062, LLCI = 0.006, ULCI = 0.151, p = 0.029).Research limitations/implicationsThis research has limitations in terms of sample representativeness, self-reported data, cultural and regional factors and technological advancement.Practical implicationsUnderstanding millennials’ motivations behind smartwatch usage has implications for marketers, designers and manufacturers in targeting this generation effectively. By highlighting smartwatches’ fashion-forward and health-conscious aspects, companies can appeal to millennials’ preferences and develop innovative features that align with their values.Social implicationsThis study provides validation for the increased level of environmental concerns among millennials, emphasizing its substantial influence on their purchasing decisions when it comes to smartwatches. Furthermore, it highlights that health-consciousness holds greater significance than fashion-forwardness as a determining factor for consumers of smartwatches.Originality/valueThis pioneering study explores the adoption intentions of smartwatch usage, examining it from the unique perspectives of health theology and environmental concerns. By delving into these novel dimensions, the research fills a significant gap in the existing literature. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the factors influencing millennials’ decision-making processes when embracing smartwatches.

Ilyas, Zahid; Siddiqi, Mushtaq Ahmad

2024 International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing

doi: 10.1108/ijphm-09-2023-0081

This study aims to investigate the combined impact of pharmaceutical marketing strategies, specifically free drug samples and interactions with medical representatives, on physicians’ attitudes and prescribing behavior in Jammu and Kashmir, India.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve this objective, data were collected from a sample comprising 425 physicians. A six-point forced-choice Likert scale was used for data collection, and cluster sampling techniques were used in the study design.FindingsThe study reveals significant insights into pharmaceutical marketing’s influence on physician behavior. Free drug samples exert a positive influence on both physician attitudes and prescribing behavior. Physicians’ attitudes, in turn, significantly affect their prescribing decisions. Mediation analysis demonstrates that free drug samples indirectly influence prescribing behavior through shifts in physician attitudes. Effective medical representatives amplify this influence, as stronger associations between free drug samples and physician attitudes are observed when representatives are more effective.Originality/valueThis research contributes by unraveling the intricate dynamics between marketing strategies, physician attitudes and prescribing behavior in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It underscores the importance of ethical pharmaceutical marketing practices, highlighting the substantial role of free drug samples and the crucial function of effective medical representatives in shaping physician behavior. Ultimately, this study sheds light on how responsible pharmaceutical marketing and adept medical representatives can improve health-care outcomes in the region.