Abstract

THE INFLUENCE OF PACKAGING ON OVER-THE-COUNTER (OTC) DRUG SALES: A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY

Sreekavya B.*, Achu Abraham and Dr. Santhosh M. Mathews

ABSTRACT

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are widely used in India, with significant profit margins from these drugs. Consumers evaluate the quality and effectiveness of OTC drugs using various factors, one of which is packaging. This project explores the influence of packaging on consumer choices for OTC drugs, an under-researched area. The study was conducted in Peringara Panchayath, Thiruvalla Municipality, involving four pharmacies. Around 200 questionnaires were distributed to consumers, with 190 completed and returned. The questionnaire consisted of two sections. Section A gathered demographic data, including age, gender, and educational qualifications, to categorize respondents and understand their backgrounds. Section B focused on specific aspects of pharmaceutical packaging, such as colour, background image, material, wrapper design, and other innovative features. These packaging elements are considered independent variables, manipulated to observe their effects. The dependent variable is consumer buying behaviour, reflecting how consumers' purchase decisions are influenced by packaging. The study found that packaging significantly influences consumer buying behaviour. Changing consumer lifestyles have increased the importance of packaging as a marketing tool, due to its potential to boost sales and trigger impulsive buying behaviour. The findings suggest that packaging design and presentation strongly affect consumers' purchase decisions. Therefore, packaging plays a crucial role in marketing communications, especially when consumers make final purchase decisions at the point of sale. The study highlights that packaging is one of the most important factors influencing consumer purchasing decisions. This underscores its role in effective marketing strategies, emphasizing the need for attention to packaging design and presentation in the pharmaceutical industry.

Keywords: design, and other innovative features. These packaging elements are considered independent variables, manipulated to observe their effects. The dependent variable is consumer buying behaviour, reflecting how consumers' purchase decisions are influenced by