INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE PARTICIPANTS OF A BUSINESS MODEL IN THE RETAIL MARKET OF OPTICAL MEDICAL DEVICES IN ROMANIA

Abstract

The market of optical medical devices in Romania is dominated by the retail segment, and the necessary infrastructure in the field is in a best situation, there are a number of 2.05 ophthalmic clinics per 10,000 inhabitants, it is a large number compared to the other European countries. This market is estimated at around € 200 million and is constantly growing. Compared to the other European countries, the profile market in Romania is only at 20% of the potential level it can reach. 50% of the Romanian population is wearing glasses and 2% are wearing contact lenses, there is a remarkably high growth potential for the contact lens market. The relevant participants of a business model on the retail market of optical medical devices in Romania are: material suppliers, manufacturing company, distribution companies, marketing companies, ophthalmic medical practices and patients. There are several types of interactions between participants that take place through the following flows: material, financial and informational. Following the analysis of the participants and their interactions within the business model on the Romanian optical medical devices market, it results that the dominant factor in the business model is the manufacturing company, which coordinates the entire process of creating, delivering, and communicating value to the customer. At the same time, it turned out that the ophthalmologist could play a key role in the interaction between the company that supplies the optical medical devices and the end users who pay for these devices.