CONSUMER PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE TOWARD E-PHARMACY APPS: A SOR FRAMEWORK APPROACH USING SMART PLS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65009/wp0fqn19Keywords:
E-pharmacy, consumer behaviour, perception, attitude, SOR, customer perception about e pharmacy, buying online,,Abstract
The growing popularity of e-pharmacy apps has critically challenged the traditional approach
of buying medicines. Consumers seeking convenience of buying medicines choose e-pharmacy
apps that simplify the procurement of over-the-counter drugs and prescription medicines. E
pharmacy apps render a quick and easy healthcare experience.
Utilizing the SOR model, this paper attempts to offer insightful analysis of pertinent studies on
consumer perception and attitude toward e-pharmacy apps in Mumbai. This study assists
doctors and researchers in deciphering the elements influencing consumer acceptance and use
of various apps. This knowledge guides the development and execution of successful plans to
improve customer experience and support responsible use of e-pharmacy apps. Moreover, it
becomes feasible to remove obstacles, doubts or inhibitions that might prevent the general
acceptance of e-pharmacy apps, thus promoting a more favorable consumer perception.
The acceptance of e-pharmacy and its usage depends on the perception about its utility. If its
perceived as being useful and convenient consumers tend to use it. When the purchase intention
is high it leads to increased satisfaction levels. The findings of the paper reveal the intricate
nature of consumer decision making about usage of e-pharmacies. This offers a valuable insight
for researchers and industry practitioners while further improving their offerings and the entire
consumer experience.
References
Aithal, A., & Shabaraya, A. R. (2020). Consumer perceptions of online pharmacy services in
the UK. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 16(1), 28-35.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.02.002
Arekar, K., Jain, R., & Kumar, S. (2021). Predictive Model To Study The Consumer Buying
Behaviour Towards E-Pharmacy Through Social Media Influence: A Cross Country
Study.
Academy
of
Marketing
Studies
Journal.
Retrieved
from
https://www.abacademies.org/articles/Predictive-model-to-study-the-consumer
buying-behaviour-towards-e-pharmacy-through-1528-2678-25-2-379.pdf
Baines, D., Elliott, R., & Regan, S. (2020). Consumer perceptions of online pharmacy services
in the UK. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 16(1), 28-35.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.02.002
Bélanger, F., Hiller, J. S., & Smith, W. J. (2022). Trustworthiness in electronic commerce: the
role of privacy, security, and site attributes. The Journal of Strategic Information
Systems, 11(3-4), 245-270. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/s0963-8687(02)00018-5
Chiu, H. -C., Hsu, Y. -C., & Wang, Y. -T. (2020). Understanding the determinants of e
pharmacy app use based on the SOR model. Journal of Medical Internet Research,
(5). doi:https://doi.org/10.2196/16624
Gharaibeh, L., Alameri, M. A., & Al-Kabariti, A. Y. (2023). Practices, perceptions and trust of
the public regarding online drug purchasing: a web-based survey from Jordan. BMJ .
doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077555
Hair, J. H., Hult, G. T., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A Primer on Partial Least Squares
Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) (Vol. 3rd). CA: Sage.
Haq, S., Sneha, S., & Pathak, P. (2019). Factors affecting the adoption of e-pharmacy apps: An
empirical investigation. Journal of Global Information Management, 27(2), 46-65.
doi:https://doi.org/10.4018/JGIM.2019040103
Khalil, A. A.-.., Meyliana, M., Hidayanto, A. N., & Prabowo, H. (2020). Identification of Factor
Affecting Continuance Usage Intention of mHealth Application : A Systematic
Literature Review. 2020 4th International Conference on Informatics and
Computational
Sciences
(ICICoS).
Semarang,
doi:https://doi.org/10.1109/icicos51170.2020.9299038
e-pharmacy
Indonesia:
IEEE.
Khan, A., Khan, N., & Akhtar, M. (2021). The role of trust and security in promoting the use
of
apps.
Health
doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/14604582211001011
using
Informatics
Journal,
(2).
Lee , K., & Kim, D. (2019). Factors affecting the adoption of e-pharmacy apps: An empirical
study
the
SOR model. Information & Management, 56(8).
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2019.103150
McCole, P., Ramsey, E., & Williams, J. (2010). Trust considerations on attitudes towards online
purchasing: The moderating effect of privacy and security concerns. Journal of
Business
Research,
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.02.025
(9-10),
-1024.
Mehrabian, A., & Russell, J. A. (1974). An approach to environmental psychology. MIT Press.
Mou, J., & Cohen, J. F. (2017). Trust and online consumer health service success: A
longitudinal
study.
Information
Development,
doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0266666916642507
(2),
-189.
Ooi, K. B., Lee, V. H., Tan, G. W., Hew, T. S., & Hew, J. J. (2018). Cloud computing in
manufacturing: The next industrial revolution in Malaysia. Expert Systems with
Applications, 93, 376-394.
Pappas, N., Pateli, A., & Karasavvoglou, A. (2022). Exploring consumer behavior towards e
pharmacy apps using the SOR model. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 65.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102854
Patel, V., & Pandit, R. (2022). Impact of Quality of Unfamiliar Shopping App on Initial Trust
Formation: A Moderated Mediation of Risk Attitude. Vision: The Journal of Business
Perspective, 26(4), 441-453. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0972262920984542
Suh, B., & Han, I. (2003). The Impact of Customer Trust and Perception of Security Control
on the Acceptance of Electronic Commerce. International Journal of Electronic
Commerce, 7(3), 135-161. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/10864415.2003.11044270
Thakur, R., & Hsu, S. H. (2018). Online prescription fulfillment: Customer satisfaction and
loyalty in e-pharmacy services. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and
Healthcare Marketing, 12(3), 274-290. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPHM-06-2017
The Pharmaceutical Journal. (2014). Examining the role of new technology in pharmacy: now
and in the future. (S. Goundrey-Smith, Ed.) doi:10.1211/PJ.2021.1.71083
Ushir, R. B., & Dolly Diana, D. (2022). Consumer Perception Towards Online Pharmacy And
Offline Pharmacy With Reference To Mumbai City. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical
Research
and
Development,
doi:https://doi.org/10.22270/ajprd.v10i2.1057
(2),
-121.
Wang, Y., Lu, X., & Wang, M. (2023). Customer satisfaction and loyalty in the context of e
pharmacy apps: Applying the SOR model. Computers in Human Behavior, 133.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107293
Wong, C. -H., Tan, G. W.-H., Tan, B.-I., & Ooi, K.-B. (2015). Mobile advertising: The changing
landscape of the advertising industry. Telematics and Informatics, 32(4), 720-734.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2015.03.003
Yadav, A., Pichholiya, M., Sheth, H. J., Gupta, S., & Choudhary, S. (2020). Knowledge And
Attitude Toward E-Pharmacy Among The Physicians Of South Rajasthan, India: A Pilot
Survey. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, 13(9), 157-160.
doi:https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2020.v13i9.38862
Zhou, T., Lu, Y., & Wang, B. (2019). The relative importance of website design quality and
service quality in determining consumers’ online repurchase behavior. Information
Systems
Management,
doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/10580530.2019.1587556
(2),
-138.

