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Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between characteristics of pharmacy-wholesaler relations and cooperation in those relations.
Data were obtained from 326 pharmacies about 214 pharmacy-primary wholesaler relations and 112 pharmacy-secondary wholesaler relations.
Separate multiple regressions were performed to test the hypotheses for both types of pharmacy-wholesaler relationship. For each regression, cooperation was the dependent variable, while the independent variables were customer service level, trust, pharmacy influence, wholesaler influence, and duration of relations.
For primary wholesalers (adjusted R-square = 0.59), three variables had significant associations with cooperation: trust, pharmacy influence, and customer service level. Conversely, the model for secondary wholesalers (adjusted R-square = 0.60) showed that only trust and pharmacy influence were significantly related to cooperation.
Trust and perceived pharmacy influence are important to all wholesalers in fostering and maintaining cooperation from their customers. In addition, level of customer service is an important variable for primary wholesalers working to develop cooperation with their customers.