Pharmaceutical Care: Pharmacies Cannot Live on Medication Alone

Abstract

This case describes the journey taken by a team of teachers to establish a university pharmacy. In order to advance to the opening of the service, the team had to know the attitudes, motivations and expectations of its target audience. Thus, five focus groups were organized. Given the results of the research, students are invited to take the place of the main decision-maker and establish the positioning of the pharmacy’s offerings and the service marketing actions required to launch it. From this point of view, the case proposes an explicit taking of decisions; however, it also allows students to analyze the focus groups’ conditions of use by proposing alternative solutions to their critical issues and interpret the undertaking according to Service-dominant Logic. This is a real case and its discussion aims to bring students closer to practical thinking about Positioning, Service Marketing, Focus Groups and Service-dominant Logic.