eBusiness technologies and trends in the pharmaceutical industry

Abstract

eBusiness is rapidly becoming the defacto business model of many firms. The pharmaceutical industry will continue to thrive regardless of recession, terrorism, war, or other external forces. Question is: what eBusiness technologies and trends are being currently pursued by pharmaceutical companies in managing critical relationships with business partners such as doctors, physicians, suppliers, retailers, distributors, and consumers? The purpose of this research is to provide a high-level overview of the pharmaceutical industry and companies that dominate in this vast arena. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of eBusiness in terms of phases, models, architectures, vendors, and products. Finally, eBusiness technologies and trends in global pharmaceutical organizations related to procurement, sales, and supply chain are analyzed in various case studies. This analysis ultimately leads to a carefully orchestrated conclusion that recaps this entire research based on eBusiness in the pharmaceutical industry.