Firstly,  establishing  distribution  channel  members  are  done  through  the  medic al representatives and the sales force.

The medical representatives are mainly Pharmacists who detail the company’s products to key stakeholders in the industry. For instance, one Pharmacist noted, “I’m part  of  the  sales  team  and  what  we  do  is  to  visit  hospitals,  clinics,  and  other pharmacy outlets to introduce our company and products to the key personnel…for example, when I visit the hospital, I talk to the doctors so they can prescribe, and the pharmacist in charge for them to stock my drugs”. In effect, the medical representatives establish a relationship between the healthcare facilities and the firm. In the case of the hospitals and clinics, medical representatives do presentations to healthcare professionals especially when the firm introduces a new product.

More importantly, the company should register with the healthcare facility to be on the list of suppliers in order to be contacted to participate in tenders to supply drugs. It is not a doubt that these healthcare facilities (hospitals and clinics) play a key role in the  distribution  process,  as  they  usually  buy  in  large  quantities.  It  is  therefore, important for  manufacturers and  wholesalers/distributors to  ensure  they  maintain good supplier-customer relationships with these hospitals and clinics.

The sales force is mainly non-Pharmacist (marketing executives) who establishes distribution channels between the firm and other wholesalers and retail pharmacies. One Marketing Manager noted, “the sales force plays an important role in the distribution process…they manage some key accounts and ensure a continued business with customers”. Considering the nature of competition in the industry, creating a competitive advantage depends on several factors, for instance, a sales representative’s interpersonal skill, prompt deliveries, flexible terms of payment, and trustworthiness. The sales force is usually trained to manage the distribution channel members.