Which factors determine the choice of preferred therapy among medical practitioners in Bulgaria?

Abstract

This work aims to find the reasons for selecting a particular type of therapy by doctors in Bulgaria based on the behaviour of the buyer. The dissertation focuses on the differences in various demographic factors and differences of the type of therapy, which is prescribed. Because of the more frequent goal of people to live ecologically, non-conventional treatment methods are increasingly used. Some of them are treatment with homeopathic remedies and treatment with nutritional supplements. This study is directed to doctors because their prescriptions generate the majority of drugs’ costs (for 2010 purchased drugs with medical prescription are 77% of the entire pharmaceutical market). Some of the most common concepts for the behaviour of buyers are described in the literature reviews. Some of the features of the doctors’ behaviour are also described. Methodology used in the dissertation involves conducting a survey to collect primary data to be used in the quantitative analysis. Secondary data on this issue for Bulgaria have not been found, therefore I have described data found by me for other countries. The study, on which this dissertation is based, has been conducted among 200 doctors in three different cities in Bulgaria. Analysis of the collected data and trends is provided in the Data and Analysis section. All data are presented in a graphical form. The finding that we can make in general is that in Bulgaria prescribing of conventional therapy prevails (80%). Homeopathic therapy is prescribed by 12% of doctors and nutritional supplements by 8%. Regardless of the type of the prescribed therapy, the results show that the most important factor for the choice is quality. Also a variety of reasons like a quality, producer and etc. that motivate doctors in different types of therapy, are observed. In the conclusion recommendations for companies in the in the pharmaceutical industry are made, based entirely on the findings made by me.