Exploring the Factors that Influence the Adoption of Online Pharmacy in Saudi Arabia: A Conceptual Review

Abstract

The study investigates the major factors affecting the user’s intention to adopt online
pharmacy in Saudi Arabia. Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology (UTAUT-2)
was utilized along with the use of other Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to examine the
perception of users on online pharmacy intention of use. Factors such as performance
expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating condition, habit, hedonic motivation,
price value, perceived trust, and perceived risk were employed. However, the findings were
found to be contradicting depending on the context. Additionally, the study used the word-ofmoth and personal innovation as moderators in the designed model. The study reveals that trust
and risk are critical factors leading to the users’ intention to adopt the system. It is therefore
recommended that building confidence in ensuring safety of the medium will minimize the risk
perception of the users. The findings of this study are believed to be of great benefits to the
online pharmacy stores in Saudi Arabia. Future studies can build on this in exploring other
factors that might likely affect the users’ intention to adopt online pharmacy