Prescribers’ and dispensers' views about generic medicines and international non-proprietary name prescribing – a mixed methods study in Portugal

Author(s):  
Micaela Pinho

Purpose This study aims to explore the views of pharmacy professionals (PPs) in Portugal about generic medicines and international non-proprietary name (INN) prescribing and compare them with the views of general practitioners (GPs). Design/methodology/approach A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 185 community PPs and 85 GPs. Their perceptions were examined using a five-point Likert scale applied to statements focusing on five main topics of interest: motivation, safety, users’ perceptions and knowledge, advantages and disadvantages of generic medicines and INN prescribing. Daily experiences and suggestions for decreasing health and pharmaceutical expenses were explored through open-ended questions. Nonparametric tests were used to compare attitudes between both groups and to explore associations between the level of agreement and respondents’ demographic characteristics. Content analysis was used to categorize the answers to the open-ended questions. Findings Generally, GPs expressed more negative opinions toward generics and INN prescribing than PPs. GPs perceived generics as less effective, less safe, inferior in quality, more likely to cause side effects and believed that users do not trust them. Both groups believed that patients remain very confused and ill-informed about generics, only adhering to them because of their low cost and expressed concerns about the existence of an excessive number of generic medicines and the lack of patients’ responsibility toward medicines costs. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first attempt to elicit and compare Portuguese GPs and PPs opinions concerning INN prescribing.

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (8) ◽  
pp. 1915-1928
Author(s):  
Judith Müller-Maatsch ◽  
Johannes Jasny ◽  
Katharina Henn ◽  
Claudia Gras ◽  
Reinhold Carle

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the consumers’ perception of natural and artificial food colourants. Furthermore, attitudes towards the application of carmine, being technically important and ubiquitously used to impart red shades, are assessed and analysed. Originating from insects, carmine is considered as natural but may arouse disgust. Design/methodology/approach In total, 625 individuals were surveyed using an online, self-administered questionnaire to represent a broad cross-section of the German population. Findings Independent of their origin, the application of colourants was rejected by 57.0 per cent of the interviewees. In total, 31.8 per cent of the participants stated a neutral attitude, while only 11.2 per cent expressed a positive notion. Most respondents preferred colourants from natural sources to artificial ones. While consumers perceive natural food colourants composed of genuine plant pigments positively, 61.6 per cent of respondents disliked the application of animal-derived colourants, 24.8 per cent of them did neither reject nor like it, and only 13.6 per cent of the interviewees stated a positive attitude towards them. The findings of this paper further indicate consumers’ preference for colourants to be either artificial or plant-derived rather than carmine. Food colourants are being rejected, possibly due to misleading information and confusing labelling. Consequently, information about carmine, including its origin and production, did not increase the aversion to products that are dyed with it, but increased their acceptance. Originality/value This study outlines consumer perception and attitudes towards food colourants. For the first time, the findings of this paper report the effect of revealing information about an additive, which initially aroused disgust, and its influence on consumer perception.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Kesselman

Purpose – This article examines Current CITE-ings from the Popular and Trade Computing Press, Telework and Telecommuting Design/methodology/approach – The methodology adopted is a literature review. Findings – Readily available technologies now allow librarians to perform most of their work-offsite. Some traditional building-based services such as reference, have been taken over by virtual reference and now even instruction offers options on par with or even better than classroombased questions such as a webinar that can be viewed and reviewed at any time or by having librarians embedded into various courseware packages. Researchlimitations/implications – Librarians no longer need be limited to a single library; groups of subject librarians can work together in the cloud to provide services to multiple universities. Originality/value – This article collates some articles from the non-library literature that mayprovide some ideas and review advantages and disadvantages for both the library and employee


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 497-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
IdaMae Louise Craddock

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of a mobile makerspace program in a public school setting. Insights, challenges, successes, projects as well as recommendations will be shared. Design/methodology/approach – This paper describes a mobile makerspace program in a public high school in Virginia. It discusses the growth of mobile making, the advantages and disadvantages of mobility, and how the program was implemented. Findings – Mobile makerspaces are a fast-growing manifestation of maker culture. It is possible to have a makerspace in a public school and take the maker culture to other schools in the area. Having a steady supply of students or library interns that are willing to travel to other schools is critical. Originality/value – Makerspaces in libraries is still a relatively new phenomenon. While the research is coming on stationary makerspaces, mobile making is a new horizon for the maker movement. This paper seeks to provide a description of one such program.


2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Åkestam ◽  
Sara Rosengren ◽  
Micael Dahlen

Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether portrayals of homosexuality in advertising can generate social effects in terms of consumer-perceived social connectedness and empathy. Design/methodology/approach In three experimental studies, the effects of advertising portrayals of homosexuality were compared to advertising portrayals of heterosexuality. Study 1 uses a thought-listing exercise to explore whether portrayals of homosexuality (vs heterosexuality) can evoke more other-related thoughts and whether such portrayals affect consumer-perceived social connectedness and empathy. Study 2 replicates the findings while introducing attitudes toward homosexuality as a boundary condition and measuring traditional advertising effects. Study 3 replicates the findings while controlling for gender, perceived similarity and targetedness. Findings The results show that portrayals of homosexuality in advertising can prime consumers to think about other people, thereby affecting them socially. In line with previous studies of portrayals of homosexuality in advertising, these effects are moderated by attitudes toward homosexuality. Research limitations/implications This paper adds to a growing body of literature on the potentially positive extended effects of advertising. They also challenge some of the previous findings regarding homosexuality in advertising. Practical implications The finding that portrayals of homosexuality in advertising can (at least, temporarily) affect consumers socially in terms of social connectedness and empathy should encourage marketers to explore the possibilities of creating advertising that benefits consumers and brands alike. Originality/value The paper challenges the idea that the extended effects of advertising have to be negative. By showing how portrayals of homosexuality can increase social connectedness and empathy, it adds to the discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of advertising on a societal level.


2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 8-19
Author(s):  
Stacy Brody

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to profile various types of Web-based tools to facilitate research collaboration within and across institutions. Design/methodology/approach Various Web-based tools were tested by the author. Additionally, tutorial videos and guides were reviewed. Findings There are various free and low-cost tools available to assist in the collaborative research process, and librarians are well-positioned to facilitate their usage. Practical implications Librarians and researchers will learn about various types of tools available at free or at low cost to fulfill needs of the collaborative research process. Social implications As the tools highlighted are either free or of low cost, they are also valuable to start-ups and can be recommended for entrepreneurs. Originality/value As the realm of Web-based collaborative tools continues to evolve, the options must be continually revisited and reviewed for currency.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 638-657
Author(s):  
Fredrik Milani ◽  
Luciano Garcia-Banuelos ◽  
Svitlana Filipova ◽  
Mariia Markovska

PurposeBlockchain technology is increasingly positioned as a promising and disruptive technology. Such a promise has attracted companies to explore how blockchain technology can be used to gain significant benefits. Process models play a cardinal role when seeking to improve business processes as they are the foundation of process analysis and redesign. This paper examines how blockchain-oriented processes can be conceptually modelled with activity- (BPMN) and artifact-centric (CMMN) modelling paradigms.Design/methodology/approachThis paper discusses how commonly occurring patterns, specific to block-chain-based applications, can be modelled with BPMN and CMMN. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of both notations for accurately representing blockchain-specific patterns are discussed.FindingsThe main finding of this paper is that neither BPMN nor CMMN can adequately and accurately represent certain patterns specific for blockchain-oriented processes. BPMN, while supporting most of the patterns, does not provide sufficient support to represent tokenization. CMMN, on the other hand, does not provide support to distinguish between activities executed and data stored on-chain versus off-chain.Originality/valueThe paper provides insight into the strengths and weaknesses of BPMN and CMMN for modelling processes to be supported by blockchain. This will serve to aid analysts to produce better process models for communication purposes and, thereby, facilitate development of blockchain-based solutions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 565-577
Author(s):  
Magdaline Wanjiru Mungai ◽  
Selikem Sebuava Dorvlo ◽  
Asaph Nuwagirya ◽  
Marlene Holmner

PurposeCopyright exceptions promote access to information by users without breaching copyright. This research paper reviews copyright exceptions in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda and how they influence access to information in libraries. Objectives were to find out the implications of copyright exceptions in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda; advantages and disadvantages of copyright exceptions for libraries; and recommend best practices of copyright exceptions.Design/methodology/approachThis is a desktop research reviewing empirical literature and incorporating authors' experiential knowledge in their information profession. Authors have interrogated copyright exceptions in their home countries' copyright acts, policy documents and peer-reviewed articles on copyright and information access. They analysed the documents as stated to deduce key recommendations regarding ideal copyright exceptions.FindingsThe study established that copyright exceptions do not always improve access as intended because they are inadequate, ignoring key library functions. Major inconsistencies exist in the exceptions in these countries; key terminologies have not been defined; and the concept is not well understood. Librarians lack sufficient knowledge on exceptions, hence lack self-efficacy in educating users. Kenya, Ghana and Uganda should improve and harmonize their copyright acts to cover key library functions.Originality/valueThis study provides in-depth analysis of historical and modern practices of copyright exceptions in the three countries revealing useful comparative insights. Previous studies looked at the issues from individual countries perspective.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 1046-1065 ◽  
Author(s):  
HakJun Song ◽  
So Young Bae ◽  
Heesup Han

Purpose This study aims to identify the structural relationships among the drivers of lovemarks (mystery, sensuality, intimacy, trust, reputation and performance), lovemarks (brand love and brand respect) and loyalty of a name-brand coffee shop. Design/methodology/approach To this end, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted, and after eliminating the outliers, a total of 401 data were analyzed using the SPSS and AMOS statistical packages. Findings The results of the current study indicate that both customers’ brand love and respect are positively related to their brand loyalty and sensuality, intimacy, trust among drivers of lovemarks directly affecting their brand loyalty, suggesting that the theory of lovemarks is useful to understand the process of generating brand loyalty. Moreover, it was revealed that reputation and performance are significant antecedents of brand respect, while mystery, sensuality and intimacy are important to explain brand love. Practical implications The present research informed that effectively dealing with two constituents of lovemarks (brand love and brand respect) are of utmost importance in building patrons’ brand loyalty. In addition, patrons’ cognitive and emotional experiences should be improved to boost the level of loyalty for a name-brand coffee shop. Originality/value This study made a contribution to the literature by conceptually and empirically evaluating lovemarks’ dimensions simultaneously in the name-brand coffee shop environment. In addition, this research was the first attempt to explicate loyalty formation for a name-brand coffee shop by using the lovemarks theory.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith Gresham ◽  
Liz Taylor ◽  
Sarah Keyes ◽  
Heather Wilkinson ◽  
Danielle McIntosh ◽  
...  

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to to describe development of a framework for use in the evaluation of the effectiveness of signage to assist people with dementia.Design/methodology/approachThe study consisted of two parts. Workshops held in both Sydney and Edinburgh using “world café” methodology with 28 knowledgeable participants produced a pool of statements. These were subsequently used in a three-round Delphi process administered to 38 participants in order to generate ideas and develop consensus content for a signage evaluation framework.FindingsThis process resulted in a framework consisting of Delphi statements which had a 70 per cent level of agreement and a series of prompt questions. Both intrinsic factors and wider environmental, extrinsic factors in signage for wayfinding were identified.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of this study were the small number of participants, including only four people with dementia, and the unresolved problems inherent in designing signage that may simultaneously be universally relevant and readily understood, yet meets the idiosyncratic needs of each individual living with dementia.Originality/valueAs there is little prior work in this field concerning signage use by people with dementia, this framework provides an original preliminary tool that may be used in further research on evaluating signage effectiveness. In designing signage and testing its effectiveness, it was concluded that the direct involvement of people with dementia is essential.


2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 625-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Roegman ◽  
Thomas Hatch ◽  
Kathryn Hill ◽  
Victoria S. Kniewel

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how instructional rounds contributes to shared understandings and facilitates the development of relationships among administrators. Design/methodology/approach – This mixed methods study draws on three years of data in a district engaged in rounds. Administrators annually completed a social network survey, which focussed on how often they interacted around instructional issues. Additionally, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample of administrators. Findings – Administrators have increased their participation in and understanding of instructional rounds, as well as their understanding of district initiatives. However, results are mixed when looking at the quantitative data. While the theory of rounds suggests that the process would lead to increased interactions, the authors found a statistically significant decrease. Research limitations/implications – Implications include examining rounds as part of a district’s set of formal and informal structures. Also, results suggest further examination of how turnover impacts networks. Finally, expanding the number of interviews may present a more mixed qualitative experience of rounds. Practical implications – As districts adopt initiatives based on observations, rounds can be used to support administrators’ growth in understanding these initiatives. Simultaneously, districts need to consider the purpose for both central office and building administrators and how those purposes align with protocols, norms, and practices they use. Originality/value – This paper advances the empirical knowledge on instructional rounds, which has been gaining popularity, though little empirical analysis exists of the process, how its theory of action is enacted, and how administrators experience rounds.


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