Adoption and Usability of Online Pharmacies for Purchasing Prescription Medicines

The study examines customers’ perceptions of purchasing prescription medicine from online pharmacies. The main purpose is to find determinants affecting the adoption of online pharmacies, and to consider the role of usability in the adoption process. The theoretical part of the paper provides the overlook on adoption constructs and their relations. In addition, usability factors used in prior studies are presented, as well as how they have been connected to IS adoption research. The specialties of Finnish pharmacy business and the requirements set to online pharmacies are also discussed. The empirical part of the study is conducted with the qualitative approach. Four respondents were interviewed and observed while they tried online pharmacies. The data gathered indicates respondents’ initial beliefs toward the service, perceptions of the usability, and the changes in the perceptions and beliefs after using online pharmacies. The results indicate that usability factors and adoption determinants are interrelated. Usability influences perceived ease of use, which affects both perceived usefulness and behavioral intention. Regulations restrict the design of online pharmacies, which has affect on the both the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, and thus the whole adoption process.

Go-to-market strategy with pharmacies

The purpose of the research is to develop a go-to-market strategy with pharmacies. As it was agreed with the client of the study, Reckitt Benckiser, the focus is solely on non-prescription products. Therefore, prescription medicines are not considered in the study. The main objective of the research is to clarify consumer and pharmacy personnel behavior concerning non-prescription products. These issues are observed with surveys, which are provided to consumers and pharmacy personnel. The go-to-market strategy is based on the survey results and is comprised by utilizing the marketing-mix model. Legislation and the present state & trends are additional minor research problems of the study. The results of the research provide many descriptive insights about consumer and pharmacy personnel behavior. It is concluded that the consumers’ level of involvement with non-prescription products is low and the type of behavior is habitual. It is also demonstrated that several decision-making criteria are very different among different age groups and genders. Concerning pharmacy personnel, the factors that they base their product recommendations are revealed. In addition, the sources of medicine information for both consumers and pharmacy personnel are found out.

Branding and Marketing Communications of Lifestyle Prescription Drugs in a Strict Legislative Environment

This thesis discusses the different possibilities to brand and promote a patented prescription lifestyle drug through different marketing communications practices. This thesis aims in explaining how branding procedures can be built in circumstances, where the legislative environment is strickt and furthermore, the environment consists of both B-to-B and B-to-C market characteristics simultaneously.

Om nyttan och nödwändigheten för en präst, at äga insikt i medicine

Painovuosi nimekkeestä.

Informationsbeteende och inlärningsmiljöer : en kvalitativ studie av medicine studerandes informationsbeteende i två olika utbildningsprogram

Avhandlingens övergripande syfte är att granska relationerna mellan olika undervisningsmetoder och studenters informationsbeteende, vilket i denna undersökning inbegriper även deras informationskompetens. Vikten av att undersöka dessa förhållanden kan motiveras med att både kunskap om de faktorer som påverkar utvecklandet av informationskompetens och forskning som tar fram olika mönster i studenternas informationsbeteende behövs för att sådana inlärningsmiljöer, informationssystem och -tjänster som stöder studenternas inlärning skall kunna utvecklas. I avhandlingen söks svar på följande frågor: 1. Vilka faktorer i inlärningsmiljöerna, dvs. problembaserad inlärningsmiljö (pbl) och traditionell inlärningsmiljö, påverkar informationsbeteendet och hur påverkar dessa faktorer? 2. Hurdan information behövs i inlärningsprocessen? Hur anskaffas informationen? Vilka informationskanaler och -källor används och hur används de? 3. Hur används information i samband med inlärningen? I undersökningen används en kvalitativ forskningsansats och det huvudsakliga undersökningsmaterialet består av intervjuer med 16 medicine studerande som studerar enligt en problembaserad inlärningsmetod och 15 studerande som studerar i ett traditionellt ämnesbaserat utbildningsprogram. Den empiriska delen av undersökningen utfördes i slutet av 1990-talet. Resultaten indikerar att en problembaserad inlärningsmiljö utvecklar förståelsen av kunskap, aktiverar informationsanskaffningen och informationsanvändningen, samt främjar utvecklingen av studenternas informationskompetens såsom den definierades i denna undersökning. Högre nivå av informationskompetens och aktiv informationsanvändning förekom emellertid i båda utbildningsprogrammen även bland studenter som hade påbörjat de fördjupade studiernas slutarbete, vilket framhäver motivationens och de verkliga informationsbehovens roll i informationsbeteendet och i utvecklandet av informationskompetensen.