Assessment Of Digital Marketing Activities, Perception, Attitude, And Factors Impacting Purchasing Decision Of Over-The-Counter Drugs In A Malaysian Population

• Main Author: Anis, Mohamad Saleem
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: RS1-441 Pharmacy and materia medica
• Online Access: http://eprints.usm.my/60049/1/24%20Pages%20from%20MOHAMAD%20SALEEM%20ANIS.pdf; http://eprints.usm.my/60049/
• Institution: Universiti Sains Malaysia

Digitalization has permeated various daily activities of individuals and organizations. This spread encouraged pharma companies to take advantage of digital marketing strategies to promote over-the-counter (OTC) drugs that have fewer marketing restrictions. The value of these drugs is becoming greater with the rise of self-medication as an economical choice of treatment for common self-limiting illnesses. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the general perception and attitude of Malaysia's population regarding using digital marketing and e-commerce for OTC drugs. It also aimed to assess the impact of digital marketing and its types on OTC purchasing decisions and to identify the main influential factors that affect these decisions. An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was used (qual → QUAN, a qualitative study followed by a primarily quantitative study). The qualitative data was collected through 13 in-depth interviews, while a total of 408 participants made up the final sample for the quantitative research that used a survey method. Thematic content analysis was used in the first phase. Four key themes were derived from the results of qualitative data analysis.