Impact of the Country of Origin on Pharmaceutical Products in the Albanian Market
Impact of the Country of Origin on Pharmaceutical Products in the Albanian Market

Author(s): Irma Shyle
Subject(s): Human Resources in Economy, Socio-Economic Research
Published by: Udruženje ekonomista i menadžera Balkana
Keywords: Country of origin; Purchase decision; Pharmaceutical industry; Quality; Albania
Summary/Abstract: Country image is essential as a country of origin information in marketplaces, especially for pharmaceutical products in developing countries. The origin of the products is used as a surrogate indicator for quality and safety. The pharmaceutical sector in Albania continues to be a developing sector, yet, locally produced products, while growing recently, continue to occupy and supply a small share of the total market. Imports dominate the Albanian drug market, and the country's most notable international brands exist. The study aimed to analyze the impact of the country of origin on the decision to purchase medicaments from the pharmaceutical sector in Albania and also to highlight the most critical factors affecting the impact of the country of origin on the choice of pharmaceutical products. Two hundred pharmacists, doctors, and chemists participated in the study. The results show that the country of origin is essential in assisting pharmacists in purchasing. The pharmacist's decision is driven mainly by the higher customer demand to purchase the country of origin attribute due to their low information on the product. The latter leads to selecting the best and most effective medicaments from countries perceived to have high quality.

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