Title: E-commerce impact on consumer behaviour in healthcare and pharmaceutical industries: extending UTAUT2 model

Authors: Apurba Chakraborty; Sayan Gupta; Rajib Roy; Nandini Sarkar

Addresses: Department of Hospital Management, B.C. Roy Academy of Professional Courses, Fuljhore Road, Durgapur, West Bengal, India ' Department of Supply Chain Management, B.C. Roy Academy of Professional Courses, Fuljhore Road, Durgapur, West Bengal, India ' Department of Hospital Management, B.C. Roy Academy of Professional Courses, Fuljhore Road, Durgapur, West Bengal, India ' Bhagirathi Neotia Woman & Child Care Centre, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Abstract: The emergence of e-commerce platforms has fundamentally reshaped consumer behaviour in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. This paper extensively reviews existing literature to analyse this transformative shift. Several factors influencing consumers toward online healthcare and pharmaceutical product purchases are identified, focusing on convenience, accessibility and privacy. The study presents a well-structured model with nine hypotheses addressing variables as per UTAUT2 model such as 'performance', 'effort expectation', 'social influence', 'conducive circumstances', 'habit', 'hedonic motivation', 'pricing value' and 'personal innovativeness' in information technology that contributes to behavioural intent. It matches up with modern models such as 'TAM, TPB, UTAUT and UTAUT2'. A meticulously crafted questionnaire methodologically approached a diverse demographic, collecting 356 samples covering urban, semi-urban and rural populations. The reliability analysis exhibited a satisfactory level of internal consistency (α = 0.684), laying a credible foundation for subsequent analyses. Independent variable analysis elucidated multifaceted aspects driving consumer choices, underlining the influence of app usage, fulfilment, effort, cost savings and social validation.

Keywords: e-commerce platform; healthcare; pharmaceutical products; behavioural intention; UTAUT2 model.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBHR.2024.144295

International Journal of Behavioural and Healthcare Research, 2024 Vol.9 No.3/4, pp.252 - 272

Received: 30 May 2024
Accepted: 30 Dec 2024
Published online: 04 Feb 2025 *

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