BUILDING COMPETITIVENESS AND BUSINESS RESILIENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF DIGITAL ECONOMY - A RESEARCH IN A CHAIN OF SERBIAN PHARMACIES
Original Article
Authors : Spomenka Babić Banković
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Manuscript keywords: healthcare, electronic prescribing, pharmacy
Abstract
Background: Digital healthcare encompasses the use of information and communication
technologies (ICT) to improve processes related to health, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
of diseases.
Aim: The goal of this research is to explore the transformation of conventional
pharmaceutical profession into digital roles.
Materials and Methods: The research was conducted in 2022 within a chain of five pharmacies
named "Hygia Pharmacy" in Arandjelovac, Serbia, employing 23 individuals. The primary focus
was to assess the impact of digitization on the company's performance, competitiveness, and
business resilience. An internet-based survey was conducted among the employees at three
different time points: initially, three months later, and six months later.
Results: The business resilience plan of the company was confirmed by 91% of respondents.
Most respondents stated that they attend professional webinars (81%) and Zoom meetings (57%)
to improve their competitiveness. All respondents rated online sales as positively impacting
consumers in terms of shopping convenience and mentioned that internal shipping and receiving
documents facilitate work in the pharmacy. Most respondents (78%) gather professional
information from digital sources (e-Pharmacy) compared to the paper form of the journal
Pharmacy Practice. The survey revealed a downward trend in traditional working techniques
compared to digital techniques, which showed an upward trend throughout all three testing
cycles.
Corresponding Author: Spomenka Babić Banković, e-mail: z.u.higija.ar@gmail.com