Relationship between behaviors for purchasing OTC medicines and literacy of consumers

Abstract

The rapid development of e-commerce and impact of the pandemic may affect consumers' healthy behavior in purchasing OTC medicines. This study aimed to examine the relationship between Japanese consumers’ current behaviors of purchasing OTC medicines and literacy through exploring the digital experience of purchasing based on tablets. An online questionnaire was conducted in the Kanto region of Japan, which included questions on purchasing behaviors and medication literacy, and the Japanese version of the eHealth Literacy Scale. Of the participants who had experience in purchasing OTC medicines, 89.47% preferred to buy them at pharmacies or stores, whereas 9.47% tended to purchase them online (χ2(2) = 271.50, p < .01); 64.24% accepted choosing medicines through a digital screen (χ2(3) = 102.36, p < .01) and 85.26% obtained information through smartphones while purchasing OTC medicines at pharmacies or stores. Young consumers aged 20-29 years used smartphones significantly more frequently than those aged 30-49 years (p <. 01). There was a positive correlation between eHealth literacy and smartphone use (r = .24, p < .01). The results suggest that Japanese consumers prefer to visit a pharmacy or drug store to purchase OTC medicines. They also prefer to search for information about OTC medicines on-site with a digital device, such as a smartphone, rather than buying OTC medicines from online stores. The digital experience of a tablet-based purchasing system would be useful and acceptable for young consumers and those with high eHealth literacy.