Business-customer alignment in the Australian pharmaceutical industry

Abstract

Emerging technologies are delivering new pharmacy business models including: web-based operations (like E-Pharmacy); low cost discount models (like Priceline), and diversified chain models (like V-Pharmacy). The regulated Australian industry is experiencing mounting external business pressures from supermarkets, doctors, consumers and politicians. This exploratory research targets the competitive services strategies of the existing pharmacy business models, pharmacy business performance, perceived pharmacy customer value delivered, and the business↔customer alignment mixes. It investigates the option of incorporating a new potentially disruptive solution-set that may enhance the industry's future competitiveness. A service value network (SVN) framework is projected as a likely future competitive scenario.