CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The study deals with the marketing of pharmaceutical products, in Enugu State problems and prospects.

At the beginning of the 21st century, there were few drugs available for the treatment of disease and illness. Majorities of the drugs were of plant or animal origin. Those were the days of chenopodium oil for the treatment of worm infestation in human, quinine for the treatment of malaria and banishment to the bush for small pox infection until infected persons died or recovered.

The introduction of sulphonamides and antibiotics into medicine during and after the Second World War revolutionized healthcare services. Subsequent researches have led to the introduction of more effective drugs and the growth of the pharmaceutical industries. In the latter half of the 21st century, pharmaceutical products (drugs) were becoming more effective.

The growing awareness of good health and the discovery of effective discovery of more effective and efficacious medicines for the treatment of chronic illnesses put more pressure on the demand of pharmaceutical products (drugs) and their distribution or marketing processes. The recognition of the great financial gain potential and the advantages

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derivable from the industry led many entrepreneurs to invest in the industry between early 1970’s and mid 1980’s. Unfortunately, there was set back in the pharmaceutical industry between early 1980-1984 when the Federal Government issued import duties to non-pharmacists to import, sell and supply/distribute pharmaceutical products. As a result of this, many pharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing companies folded up and only few managed to remain in business. These resulted to shops opened to sell the imported drugs without pharmacists, and Registration by pharmacy council of Nigeria brought about sales of pharmaceutical products (drugs) in the open markets. This single act, turned out to be a costly mistake on the part of government, as the whole industry indeed the whole country is faced today with fake and adulterated products.

Also of interest is the marketing strategy applied by the pharmaceutical industry. The pharmacy council or society of Nigeria faced with the task of find relevant and practicable marketing could fit properly into the health sector, identifying the constraints that hinder such venture and profer solutions to the problems. This issue is vital because to some Nigerians. Marketing is irrelevant to pharmaceutical industry, since drugs are not supposed to be sold and displaced in the open market, but handled by specialists pharmacists.

These pharmaceutical products refer to substances and associated products that are used for treatment and prevention of illnesses and

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sicknesses. These products include drugs, vaccines and diagnostics chemicals. In the face of very low capital domestic production. Nigeria therefore fills the gap between consumption and production with imported drugs.

Moreover, in marketing of any goods like pharmaceutical products (drugs) price which is one of the element of the marketing mix is very necessary. According to Nkem K. N, (2000) in any market economy where goods and services are traded, price is very crucial as the prime mover of trade.

Price can be defined as the monetary value for which the seller is willing to exchange the item or products (Agbonifor, Ogwo and Nnolim, 1998). Price increases are due to many factors, economic rent due to location, quality improvement, packaging improvement, environmental factors, competitive strength, competitive advantage as well as government policies on trade or commerce (Ozor, 1998).

Practically one would expect that price increases would result to less quantity being bought according to the known law of Economics. In certain very essential goods of life- saving goods as pharmaceutical products, price increases do not necessarily result to less quantities demanded rather the consumer is marginalized as he has no option (Ngwuama, 2005). We therefore need to study the problems and prospects of marketing pharmaceutical products in Enugu State.

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1.2       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Pharmaceutical products (drugs) have to be marketed and handled

by special people like patent medicines, pharmacists, drug dealers etc.

The pharmaceutical products appear to be the most common of household items often demanded. The searching eye of the NAFDAC has been alert on any form of drug abuse and fake. The following problems have been observed.

-              The price of pharmaceutical products in Enugu is not         affordable.

-              The quality of pharmaceutical products in Enugu were substandard.

-              There are poor distribution of pharmaceutical products to local Areas.

-              High cost of promotional activities

-              Problems of fake/adulterated drugs.

-              Problems of poor service delivery in pharmaceutical stores

-              Problems of poor packaging affects the marketing of

pharmaceutical products in Enugu

1.3       THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

(1) To find out how the price of pharmaceutical products in Enugu state is not affordable.

(2)         To find out whether the quality of pharmaceutical products in Enugu are up to standard.

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(3)     To examine the high cost of promotional activities in the  marketing

pharmaceutical products

(4)     To check why there are poor distribution pharmaceutical                products to

local Areas.

(5)         To determine the effects of poor services delivery in pharmaceutical store.

(6)         To investigate the causes of fake/adulterated/ expired pharmaceutical products and how best to over come it

(7)         To examine the extent of how poor packaging of affect the

marketing of pharmaceutical products in Enugu state.

(8) To find out what the problem of accessibility to pharmaceutical store affect the marketing of pharmaceutical product.

1.4    RESEARCH QUESTIONS

§     Does the price of pharmaceutical products in Enugu state affordable to the users?

§     Do the product quality of pharmaceutical products in Enugu State up to standard?

§     Why poor packaging affects the marketing of pharmaceutical products in Enugu State?

§     How does distribution of pharmaceutical products to local areas affects the marketing of pharmaceutical products in Enugu State?

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§     What causes the sale of fake/adulterated pharmaceutical products in Enugu State?.

§     Why there is poor delivery in pharmaceutical stores in Enugu State?

1.5    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The efficient marketing of effective and efficacious pharmaceutical products (drugs) in Enugu State to different consumers had been a bottleneck caused by individuals who are only for financial gains. There are several reports of treatment failures resulting in deaths because of fake and adulterated drugs used in some of our clinics and hospital. There is urgent need for increased production or importation of effective and efficacious medicine by qualified personnel and banned all unqualified personnel and quacks from manufacture, importation, marketing, distribution and sales of pharmaceutical products to the public.

The significance of this study include

(1)     The study is significance because it will help the researcher to  know

why the price of pharmaceutical products is not affordable to the users.

(2)         It will benefit the researcher to fine out why the quality of pharmaceutical products are not up to the standard.

(3)

It help the customers to get high quality pharmaceutical  products in

any pharmaceutical store around him.

(4)

It will help him to buy pharmaceutical products at a  cheaper   rate.

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(5)