Exploration Of The Major Marketing Issues In The Otc Drug Market In China

Since the classified administration of medicinal drugs was introduced on January 1, 2000, changes gradually took place in the marketing models for medicinal drugs. Prescription drugs refer to those that are prescribed by doctors and are from hospital drug store and are taken under doctor's guidance, wherein the marketing was practiced on the basis of professional universalization. OTC drug is special product category; it has the character of drugs, embodies consumers' high-degree philosophic sense; it produces much participation and gives sense of insecurity; it has the characters of consumer goods as well, and the consumers decide on their own to buy them or not. OTC drug is a sub-commercial form that lies between medicinal drugs and the consumable; when compared with prescription drugs, it is fairly different in such aspects as varieties, modes of operation, policy restrictions, consuming behavior patterns, etc. OTC drug markets have their own uniqueness. OTC drug market normally adopts every means of marketing, selling and universalizing the drugs directly to the consumers. Our country practiced this classified administration system for drugs not long ago; the OTC drug market is not mature or perfect; it is at its embryo stages in comparison with the advanced countries in the world. In this background, the author attempts to start from the marketing integration theories in combination with the characters of our country's OTC drug markets, to probe into the marketing strategies of the OTC drug markets in our country, so as to promote the development in, and maturity of, our country's OTC drug markets. This article's research centers around the research object of the OTC drug markets, it falls into 6 chapters. In the Chapter One, the authormakes an introduction to the concept and consumption character of the OTC drug, to the current conditions and development trends of the OTC drug markets at home and abroad, as well as to the main marketing models for the OTC drugs of the major countries in the world. Chapter Two, starting from SPT marketing and marketing fix, combining with the character and current conditions of the OTC drug markets in our country, probes into and analyzes the major factors affecting the drug marketing management in our country. The chapters 3,4,5 analysize the primary factor affecting the OTC drug marketing in our country. These chapters mainly research and analyze such questions as the brands, channels, packaging, advertising and sales promotion, etc, of the OTC drugs. The Chapter Six analyzes the development trend of the marketing strategies for the OTC drug markets in our countries, and moved that the maturity of the OTC drug markets in our country should be hastened to enhance the international competitive capabilities of the OTC drug markets in our country.