JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Online medicine purchasing is a growing healthcare opportunity. However, there is a scarcity of available evidence addressing why consumers buy medicines online, through a behavioural lens. Governments try to influence online medicine purchasing behaviour using health campaigns. However, there is little data regarding specific online medicine purchasing behaviours to support these campaigns.

Objective:

The Theory of Planned Behaviour explains that perceived behavioural control (PBC), attitudes, and norms contribute to intentions, lead to behaviours. This study challenges these assumptions, by testing them in an online medicine purchasing context. We ask, what is the role of attitudes, norms and perceived behavioural control in an online medicine purchasing context.

Methods:

An anonymous online snowball convenience sample survey, including open and closed questions concerning online medicine purchasing was implemented. The data was thematically analysed until data saturation. The emerging themes were applied to each individual response, as part of a case-by-case narrative analysis.

Results:

190 consumers from the UK and Ireland consented to participate in the study. The study included 46 participants who had purchased medicines online, nine of which performed illegal sales. Of the 113 participants that demonstrated an intention to purchase 42 (37%) then went on to purchase. There were many cases where participants demonstrated an intention to buy medicines online, but this intention didn’t translate to a purchasing behaviour (71 participants, 37%). Reasons for consumers progressing from intention to behaviour are suggested to be impacted by PBC and attitudes. Qualitative data identified access to medicine as a factor encouraging online medicine purchasing behaviour, and a facilitator of behaviour transition. Despite understanding the importance of why some medicines required a prescription which is described as an example of legal and health norms, and despite suspicion and concern categorised as negative attitudes in this paper, some participants were still buying products illegally online. 17 participants (9%) applied risk reduction strategies to facilitate a transition from an intention to a behaviour.

Conclusions:

It’s proposed that a consumer’s intention to buy doesn’t automatically translate to a purchasing behaviour online, and instead a transition phase exists. Secondly consumers followed different pathways to purchase and have used risk reduction practices while transitioning from an intention to a behaviour. Finally, owing to the covert nature of online medicine purchasing, norms do not appear to be as influential as perceived behavioural control and attitudes in an online medicine purchasing setting. Understanding how a consumer transitions from an intention to a behaviour could be useful for healthcare professionals and policy makers involved in public health campaigns. We encourage future research to focus on different consumer behaviour pathways or ideal types, rather than taking a blanket approach to public health campaigns. Clinical Trial: Not applicable.