The Role of the Salesperson in Establishing and Preserving the Pharmacist-Wholesaler Relationship

ABSTRACTMuch research in the past decade was dedicated to examining pharmacist satisfaction with wholesaler services and cooperation with wholesalers. A review of the marketing and pharmacy literature shows a lack of research on the development of trust and commitment among pharmacists toward wholesalers. Based on Morgan and Hunt's Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship Marketing, the authors examine the antecedents and consequences of pharmacist-wholesaler relationship marketing. The Morgan and Hunt model included relationship benefits as an antecedent of commitment and trust. In the pharmacist-wholesaler relationship, these benefits are examined in detail, including corporate-level and boundary-spanning activities. Salesperson characteristics show positive effects on the development of trust and commitment.