Consumer Adoption Factors for M-Pharmacy Apps Using Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT)

This research paper has examined the factors which contribute to consumers’ acceptance of Mobile Pharmacy applications (M-Pharmacy apps) as well as the factors which inhibit their adoption by application of behavioral reasoning theory (BRT). The research model was based on the BRT framework and empirically tested by taking responses from 426 respondents. PLS-SEM was used to aid in the data analysis. The acceptance of M-Pharmacy apps by consumers is positively impacted by factors such as usefulness, convenience, and monetary benefits, whereas adoption is negatively impacted by security barriers. Furthermore, it is found that perceived need impacts both, positive as well as negative factors as a person who needs wellness products is more likely to adopt M-Pharmacy apps. The research is limited to the Indian context, respondents are from Urban India, and only demographic factors such as age and gender are being considered. The findings on adoption factors for M-Pharmacy apps would help the product development team to build more user-friendly apps, the marketing team to formulate better product positioning strategies, and the pharmacists and drug retailers to improve the product offerings for online sales. This is the first such research paper that has employed BRT to explore both “reasons for” as well as “reasons against” the acceptance of M-Pharmacy applications by consumers.