Understanding Consumers’ High-Risk Consumption Behavior of Pharmaceuticals: An Abstract

Abstract

Objective: To develop a model in understanding consumers’ high-risk consumption behavior of over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements and to identify major beliefs and attitudes relevant to the consumption of pharmaceuticals.

Method: Eight focus groups (N = 37 participants) were conducted in a local university from January to April 2017 with consumers who had online-shopping experience. Verbatim transcripts of the group discussions were analyzed with the grounded theory approach.

Results: The authors have identified six important factors that assist understanding of the high-risk pharmaceutical consumption behavior. While high (vs. low) perceived threats in pharmaceuticals consumption increase consumer willingness to pay higher prices and wait longer for genuine pharmaceuticals, high (vs. low) self-efficacy lowers consumer willingness to pay and increases their willingness to wait; the two factors, thereby, significantly impact consumer’s likelihood of engaging in risky consumption behaviors. Two moderators (product type and temporal distance) also influence consumer’s willingness to pay and willingness to wait for authentic pharmaceuticals.

Conclusion: A framework for understanding consumers’ high-risk consumption behavior of over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements is proposed as a model, grounded in empirical data, which can be further explored in future research.

Objective: To develop a model in understanding consumers’ high-risk consumption behavior of over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements and to identify major beliefs and attitudes relevant to the consumption of pharmaceuticals.