Abstract:
The objective of this research was to study the influence of relationship marketing and
marketing mix on physicians decision of choosing new medicine in the Ministry of Public Health.
The sample group of this research was consisted of 322 physicians selected via
convenience sampling. The sample group worked in public hospitals in Health Service Region 12.
The data were collected using questionnaires and were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean,
Independent Sample t-test, One-Way ANOVA, Least Significant Difference (LSD), Pearson
Product Moment Correlation, and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis.
The results showed that out of the six aspects of relationship marketing: trustworthiness,
engagement, shared values or goals, care, communication, and interpersonal relationship, the
physicians gave the first priority on trustworthiness, especially on the trustworthiness of drug
companies and their sales representatives, with the average score of 4.58. For the six components of
marketing mix: product, price, promotion, personnel, service process, and physical environment, the
physicians emphasized mostly on physical environment with the average score of 4.74, especially
on the availability of modern drug containers which can control temperature, humidity, and light.
Moreover, the analysis of the association between relationship marketing and physicians decision
of choosing new medicine revealed that trustworthiness, engagement, communication, and
interpersonal relationship had positive relation to physicians decision of choosing new medicine.
While the shared values or goals had negative relation to the physicians decision. In addition, all
the six aspects of marketing mix had positive relation to the physicians decision at 0.05 level of significance. Besides, the multiple correlation coefficient (R) of relationship marketing was at 0.803
with the predicting capability of 63.9 percent. It showed that trustworthiness, engagement, shared
values or goals, care, and interpersonal relationship affected the physicians decision. For the
marketing mix, the multiple correlation coefficient (R) of marketing mix was at 0.942 with the
predicting capability of 88.6 percent. It appeared that product, promotion, personnel, service
process, and physical environment affected physicians decision of choosing new medicine.