The Impact of E-commerce on the Pharmaceutical Industry

The Impact of E-commerce on the Pharmaceutical Industry

Strategic Management
Industry Alert

E-commerce is beginning to cause major changes to the ways in which the pharmaceutical and chemical industries function. Throughout the pharmaceutical value chain, E-commerce enables simple and efficient transactions.

The Impact of E-commerce on the Pharmaceutical Industry provides a detailed assessment of the ways in which the pharmaceutical industry is using the internet to improve its business operations. The growth of E-commerce in business-to-business and business-to-consumer transfer within the pharmaceutical industry is assessed, looking both at impact and strategies. The development and potential of online pharmacies is also profiled in the report.

PUBLICATION: JANUARY 2000
REF: BS1018E
PAGES: 70+
PRICE: £250/$499/¥60,000

CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Growth of the internet
1.1.1 The origins of the internet
1.2 The evolution of e-commerce
1.3 E-commerce and the pharmaceutical industry
1.3.1 E-commerce trends
1.3.2 Importance of pharmaceutical websites
1.4 E-commerce in the new millennium

CHAPTER 2 BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS E-COMMERCE
2.1 E-commerce for pharmaceutical and chemical companies
2.1.1 Opportunities and threats
2.1.1.1 Columbia/HCA
2.1.1.2 Threats
2.2 Manufacturers and wholesalers
2.2.1 Purchasing chemicals over the internet
2.2.2 E-trading
2.2.2.1 Biosample.com
2.2.2.2 Chemdex.com
2.2.2.3 ChemNavigator.com
2.2.2.4 ChemConnect.com
2.2.2.5 Fobchemicals.com
2.3 Healthcare providers
2.4 Pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies
2.4.1 Electronic prescriptions
2.5 Pharmaceutical websites
2.5.1 Boehringer Ingelheim
2.5.2 AstraZeneca
2.5.3 Pfizer

CHAPTER 3 BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER E-COMMERCE
3.1 E-commerce opportunities aimed at the patient and doctor
3.1.1 Patient education
3.1.2 Medical education
3.1.3 Other objectives of engaging in business-to-consumer
e-commerce
3.2 Direct-to-consumer advertising and e-commerce
3.2.1 Reaching the consumer
3.2.1.1 Direct-to-consumer advertising and the European Commission
3.3 Websites
3.3.1 Branded and unbranded sites
3.3.1.1 Consumer sites
3.3.2 Community sites
3.3.2.1 www.webmd.com
3.3.2.2 www.pfizerforliving.com
3.3.2.3 www.alzheimers.com
3.3.2.4 www.cafeherpe.com
3.3.2.5 Clinical trial websites
3.3.3 Online discounts
3.3.3.1 Schering-Plough
3.3.3.2 Hoechst Marion Roussel

CHAPTER 4 ONLINE PHARMACIES
4.1 Pharmacies on the internet
4.1.1 Online pharmacy pitfalls
4.1.1.1 Risks of purchasing drugs over the internet - European perspective
4.1.2 Illegal sale of drugs on the internet - US perspective
4.1.2.1 The World Health Organization and illegal sale of Viagra over the internet
4.1.2.2 The European Commission and sales of unapproved products over the internet
4.2 E-pharmacies
4.2.1 Drugstore.com
4.2.2 Merck-Medco.com
4.2.3 PlanetRx.com
4.2.4 Phar-mor.com
4.2.5 Rxdrugstore.com
4.2.6 Rx.com
4.2.7 CVS.com
4.2.8 Thepillbox.com
4.3 The National Community Pharmacists Association

CHAPTER 5 REGULATION OF PHARMACEUTICAL E-COMMERCE AND LEGAL ISSUES
5.1 Pharmaceutical e-commerce and regulations
5.1.1 Regulation in the US
5.1.1.1 The Food and Drug Administration and e-commerce
5.1.2 Regulation in the European Union
5.1.2.1 The European Commission and e-commerce
5.1.2.2 European Union warning on internet medicine sales
5.2 E-commerce and the law
5.2.1 Copyright and defamation
5.2.2 General legal issues

List of Tables
Table 1.1 Benefits of e-commerce for pharmaceutical companies
Table 1.2 The potential of e-commerce in the pharmaceutical sector

Table 2.1 Business-to-business e-commerce platforms

Table 3.1 Benefits of e-commerce to the pharmaceutical company and the consumer
Table 3.2 Websites of major pharmaceutical companies aimed at consumers and healthcare professionals

List of Figures
Figure 1.1 Worldwide internet access by region (users in millions)
Figure 1.2 E-commerce business model for pharmaceutical companies

Figure 2.1 ChemNavigator.com's home page
Figure 2.2 ChemConnect's home page
Figure 2.3 ChemConnect's product offers web page
Figure 2.4 Boehringer-Ingelheim's prescription/hospital products web page

Figure 3.1 Alzheimer's disease website
Figure 3.2 Genital herpes website

Figure 4.1 PlanetRx.com's pharmacy web page
Figure 4.2 Rx.com's home page
Figure 4.3 CVS.com's home page