10 Marketing Professional Pharmacy Services

Question 1

What’s a service?

Answer 1

An activity/benefit that can be offered to a consumer without the consumer actually owning anything tangible from the exchange

Question 2

Is dispensing considered a good or service? Explain.

Answer 2

It’s actually a little of both:

We’re giving them a tangible product, but we’re also providing a service - namely, counselling.

Question 3

4 characteristics of a service:

Answer 3

1. inseparability (service and service provider can’t be separated)
2. intangibility (svc can’t be experienced before purchase)
3. inconsistent (svc quality depends on who gives it)
4. non-inventoried (svc can’t be stored for later use)

Question 4

In order to market a svc, internal marketing, external marketing, and interactive marketing must be done. What do ea of these mean?

Answer 4

They are part of the service-profit chain whereby profits are linked w/ employee and consumer satisfaction.

Internal marketing: when the org tries to convince the employees of the benefits of providing a particular svc

External marketing: when the org tries to convince the consumer of a svc’s benefits

Interactive marketing: when the employee tries to convince the consumer of the benefits of a svc

Question 5

Why is marketing a svc a particular challenge?

Answer 5

Because of its intangibility > there’s nothing for a potential consumer to “try” before actually committing to it

(the other reasons - inseparability, inconsistency, and non-inventories - are also valid reasons for its difficulty in marketing)

Question 6

Consumer buying behaviour has 4 major influences:

Answer 6

1. personal
2. psychological
3. cultural
4. social

Question 7

Consumer buying process stages:

Answer 7

1. problem recognition
2. information seeking
3. evaluation of alternatives
4. purchase decision
5. post-purchase evaluation

Question 8

It’s best to make purchase decisions based on…

a. rational motives
b. emotional motives

Answer 8

a. rational motives

[Rational motives: involve a logical evaluation of product attributes such as cost, quality, and usefulness

Emotional motives: non-objective factors such as fear, sociability, imitation, and aesthetics (e.g. spur of the moment buying)]

Question 9

When are pts likely to have purchase anxiety?

Answer 9

When purchasing…

1. major, expensive product
2. product for the first time

Question 10

How can we increase the likelihood that a consumer remains happy with a product that they purchased?

Answer 10

1. Follow-up calls

2. Ensure pt knows that we are competent

Question 11

Before introducing a new svc, what needs to be done?

Answer 11

Marketing research and planning

Question 12

What should be done internally (within an org) before instituting a new svc?

Answer 12

Include and consult all your employees who will be part of that svc’s delivery