The impact of the internet on community pharmacy practice: a comparison of a Delphi panel's forecast with emerging trends.
The purpose of this study was to forecast the impact of Internet pharmacy commerce on various stakeholders. A panel of experts assembled from a list of academicians in the social and administrative pharmaceutical sciences participated in a three-iteration Delphi procedure. Feedback from the aggregate responses of the panel was used to construct questionnaires employed in subsequent iterations of the Delphi. The panel converged to form a consensus upon a variety of issues. They forecasted the attainment of a 10-15% share in the market of prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals through on-line purchases, the formation of strategic alliances among stakeholders in the drug distribution process, a shift in marketing strategies by brick-and-mortar stores, an increase in the prevalence of niching among pharmacy service providers and a subsequent growth in the implementation of cognitive services throughout the industry. With few exceptions, the forecast produced by the Delphi panel appears to be coming to fruition.
Holmes
Erin R
ER
Mylan School of Pharmacy, Bayer Learning Center, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA. holmes486@duq.edu
Tipton
David J
DJ
Desselle
Shane P
SP
D032921:Consensus; D003697:Delphi Technique; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D040541:Marketing / Q000379:methods*; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States
D004366:Nonprescription Drugs