Drug Wholesalers and the Generic Drug Industry

There is little information in the published literature concerning the interaction between drug wholesalers and generic drug manufacturers and distributors. The purpose of this study is to identify and quantify the attributes and services which drug wholesalers look for in generic drug suppliers whose products they stock. A survey was sent to 136 wholesale drug firms, and 81 responses were received. The evaluable responses were analyzed to determine the average importance rating of 31 potential attributes of a generic drug supplier, in addition to background information. The incidence of drug product recalls, liability insurance, and the generic drug supplier's reputation were found to be as important as price to the drug wholesaler in his selection of generic product lines.