Menestystekijät vapaan kaupan tuotteiden lanseerauksessa apteekkimarkkinoille

The significance of OTC product sales has risen in pharmacies because of lower margins obtained from medicines and thus a fall in the revenue. Manufacturing enterprises must pay particular attention to the success of product launches to ensure that their products end up on pharmacy shelves instead of competitors. The study intended to determine if the known key factors of successful launch also apply when launching a product to pharmacy market and if any of these factors was thought to be the most important one from pharmacists' perspective. In addition it was researched if there would be some important factors to be considered exclusively in product launches to pharmacy market and which factors have the greatest impact on pharmacies decision making about the product selection. The study was conducted as a survey directed to pharmacists, in which just launched D-vitamin product Elivo Vahva+ D50 was used as an example product. As a second part of the study few participants were interviewed by e-mail. According to the study pharmacies are interested in products that fit their selection, in other words, they are proven to be effective and useful for customers. They should bring some added value to the existing selection, to be visually attractive, price-reasonable and with a large enough target group. Representative visits, product visibility in the media, as well as the customers demand have the greatest impact on pharmacies decision making about which products to include to the selection. In addition, belonging to a pharmacy chain often brings with it the obligation to keep certain products in the shelves. Least impact on the decision making was with the electronic newsletter and pharmacy events. Pharmacies profit margin, as well as the possible purchase discounts and OTC products compensation practices are also taken into account in selection decisions. It is important that the company invests in their representatives education and offer reliable product knowledge and sales arguments to pharmacies for example with personnel training or at least in the form of brochures. When deciding the timing of the launch, seasonal variations in sales as well as competitors market entries needs to be taken into account. If it's not possible to be the first in the market, the product needs to have a real added value compared to others.