Some drug companies follow a sequence of steps in forecasting and these are as follows:

i. Determine the () for which forecasts are to be used, such as for: production and marketing requirements, budgeting, etc.

ii. Divide the company’s products into

() groups such as by therapeutic segments and sub-segments, ethical drugs, ethical-OTC, OTC, and proprietary drugs or by product divisions.

iii. Determine the () affecting the() of each product category such as: demand, competition, other environmental factors, and their relative importance.