The risk-value trade-off: price and brand information impact consumers’ intentions to purchase OTC drugs

Background: European countries face fscal pressure regarding the long-term sustainability of their healthcare system due to increasing levels of public health expenditures and mounting demographic pressures. The promotion of generic drugs is considered to be an efcient means to tackle these challenges; however, market difusion remains slow. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of price and brand cues on purchase intentions by means of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) advertising, and to build on the market cue evaluation model by Dodd et al. Methods: Participants rated purchase intentions on six DTC adverts varying in price and brand information, followed by self-reports on purchase intentions, attitudes towards generics, brand loyalty, price consciousness, as well as perceptions of quality, risk and value. Open-ended questions explored attitudes toward generic drugs. Results: Brand information and purchase intentions were mediated by perceived risk and perceived quality, while price information infuenced purchase intention through perceptions of quality, risk and value. Consumers’ purchase behaviour was furthermore infuenced by unawareness and misconceptions, past experiences, and advertising as a decision-making tool. Conclusions: Advertisements, including price and brand information, are an important tool to improve consumers’ awareness of the availability of diferent OTC drugs. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed

Background: European countries face fscal pressure regarding the long-term sustainability of their healthcare system due to increasing levels of public health expenditures and mounting demographic pressures. The promotion of generic drugs is considered to be an efcient means to tackle these challenges; however, market difusion remains slow. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of price and brand cues on purchase intentions by means of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) advertising, and to build on the market cue evaluation model by Dodd et al. Methods: Participants rated purchase intentions on six DTC adverts varying in price and brand information, followed by self-reports on purchase intentions, attitudes towards generics, brand loyalty, price consciousness, as well as perceptions of quality, risk and value. Open-ended questions explored attitudes toward generic drugs. Results: Brand information and purchase intentions were mediated by perceived risk and perceived quality, while price information infuenced purchase intention through perceptions of quality, risk and value. Consumers’ purchase behaviour was furthermore infuenced by unawareness and misconceptions, past experiences, and advertising as a decision-making tool. Conclusions: Advertisements, including price and brand information, are an important tool to improve consumers’ awareness of the availability of diferent OTC drugs. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed