Promoting the competitiveness of pharmaceutical companies; explaining strategies to increase market share and consumer welfare

The present study aimed to provide competitive strategies for pharmaceutical companies using Fuzzy Delphi method. This research is a mix research with exploratory approach which in terms of quantitative and qualitative research in the field of methodology and in terms of research philosophy includes deductive-inductive research. The statistical population of this study is all pharmacies, pharmacy companies in Lorestan province. In the qualitative section, the sample members of the research using a bullet-sampling method are selected and in the quantitative part of the research, they selected by Multi-stage cluster sampling. Since the present study is a mixed research with a quantitative and qualitative approach, both the interviewing tools and the questionnaire are used simultaneously. Regarding to analyze the research data, it should be noted that for analyzing qualitative data, the coding method and the ATLAS.TI software were used, also analysis in qualitative section with fuzzy Delphi were used. The results of the research show that the powerful knowledge chain in drug production, the use of medicinal plants, the dependence of the world's pharmaceutical companies on medicines and medicinal herbs, and the existence of a monopoly on the expertise in some of the drugs produced are most effective factors influencing for competitiveness of pharmaceutical companies.