The application of the concept of trust marketing in the study of price sensitivity to study the consumer value of topical antifungal agents in the dosage form “gel”

Abstract

The market of medicinal products in Ukraine tends to constant changes. The dynamics of the pharmaceutical market, especially in today’s conditions of uncertainty, completely depend on the income of the population. For the implementation of new trajectories of improvement of pharmaceutical care, there is a study of the processes of consumer preferences of the patient / buyer to the pharmaceutical product, followed by the formation of consumer values and price sensitivity.

The aim of the work was to determine the price sensitivity of consumers in order to establish the consumer value of topical antifungal agents in the medicinal form “gel”.

Materials and methods. The van Westendorp method (PSM – price sensitivity measurement) was used in the study. The material for conducting the study was the available information sources indicating the list of drugs for the prevention and treatment of mycosis of the feet in the soft dosage form “gel” with only antifungal activity and with antifungal activity and additional antibacterial action, azole derivatives (websites-aggregators: apteka24.ua/uk/, doc.ua, tabletki.ua, compendium.com.ua/uk/, likie.ua, liki24.com, helsi.me/liki) and the results of the responses of respondents-consumers based on processing of a previously created questionnaire.

Results. For each medicinal product with a gel dosage form with antifungal action only and with antifungal and additional antibacterial action, azole derivatives, we have built graphs of the cumulative distribution of respondents, calculated the point values of the minimum (MCP), maximum (MEP), optimal (OPP) and indifferent price (IDP) that respondents are willing to pay for an antifungal product. It was determined that, according to the generalized opinion of the respondents, the highest OPP and IDP and the corresponding range of acceptable prices (OPP-IDP) are for combined forms of medicines that have not only antifungal action but also additional antibacterial activity. At the second stage of the study, an intra-group price analysis was conducted. The respondents were divided into 2 groups based on the consumer income characteristic. The next stage of the study included an intra-group price analysis based on the consumer characteristic “sick / not sick”.

Conclusions. As a result of the analysis of the concept of trust marketing in the study of price sensitivity for the study of consumer value of antifungal topical agents in the gel dosage form with antifungal activity only and with antifungal activity and additional antibacterial action, azole derivatives, the price sensitivity of consumers was determined and lists of the most attractive studied drugs in terms of consumer value were formed.