Impact of COVID-19 on the Macedonian E-Pharmacy Market with Survey Analysis

Abstract

Since the past years, an ever-increasing number of online, internet, or mail-order pharmacies have operated with the constant expansion of the Internet. Most online pharmacies are authorized and legalized, offering medical services like standard local pharmacies. In these pharmacies, the customer makes its purchase through a computer device (computer, laptop, mobile, tablet) directly connected to the application or website of the E-pharmacy, entailing the necessary medicaments for a refill or new prescription without the need for any additional tools for accessing the website or the application. In this paper are presented the results of a survey on the Macedonian pharmacy market which was divided into several sections, and all the data was analyzed and explained. Results reflect a robust pandemic-facilitated boost in e-pharmacy adoption. Notably, offers/discounts and detailed drug information emerged as statistically significant in influencing consumer decision-making, whereas contactless delivery and deficiencies in the billing system had no visible effect. E-Pharmacy service satisfaction was improved during the pandemic but remained neutral for most users, which reflects untapped potential in building trust through better customer experience and data safeguarding. These findings have broader policy and public health implications for policymakers and stakeholders within emerging economies. The catalytic role of the pandemic in e-pharmacy adoption highlights the need for high-quality digital health infrastructure and mass education campaigns for public awareness to sustain this momentum. For healthcare providers, prioritizing open prices, researched drug data, and personalized customer relationship management might bridge the current satisfaction gap. Regionally, this article serves as a model for Western Balkan nations with similar challenges of healthcare digitization, capturing the merging of crisis-driven behavioral change and long-term innovation in services. This study must be followed by research into mobile health integration and cross-cultural comparison in order to maximize equitable access in developing digital health environments.