Influence of Pharmaceutical Marketing Mix Strategies Physician’s Prescribing Behavior in Sri Lanka: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals provide vital inputs to healthcare such as medicines, chemicals, vaccines, cosmeceuticals, etc. The pharmaceutical industry is known as the detection, expansion, and production of drugs and medications. Literature revealed that there are deviations on Marketing Expenditure Research and Development (R&D) and Power of Consumer relating to other business sectors that were majorly controlled by physicians. Several research gaps identified both theoretical gaps and methodological gaps within limited studies done in the world thus Sri Lankan studies are curbed in subject area. Therefore this study answers the question “what is the impact of pharmaceutical marketing mix strategies on prescribing behaviors of physicians in Sri Lanka?” main objective of the study to determine pharmaceutical marketing strategies and physician’s prescribing behaviors while identifying impact and relationship of pharmaceutical marketing mix strategies on physician’s prescribing behavior. Research questions developed parallel to the objectives to derived hypothesis while variables were Physician’s prescribing behavior, Marketing mix strategies: product (Dug) attributes, Price of the product or cost of therapy, Distribution and availability of products, promotions done by the pharmaceutical companies in Sri Lanka especially in unique duality of public and private practicing context.  

Keywords: Marketing mix, Pharmaceutical Marketing, Sri Lankan pharmaceutical industry, Physician’s prescribing behavior