The foreign trade policy of Japan

The article offers an analysis of the changes, during the past decade, in Japan’s foreign trade pattern. Special regard is given to the effects of the wave of price increases in the world commodity markets which, owing to the large share of raw materials and food in the country’s imports, has hit Japan particularly severely

German investments abroad and foreign investments in the Federal Republic

The investments of residents of the Federal Republic of Germany in economic areas abroad and of non-residents in the economic area of the Federal Republic are the subject of the following article. Their development over the last fifteen years is analysed in regard to their geographical location and distribution over the various economic sectors. One of the questions to be examined is whether German investments in foreign countries are an alternative to exports from the Federal Republic or a necessary complement to such exports

The external trade of the CACM-countries

The Central-American Common Market (Mercado Común Centroamericano — MCC) was established in 1960 and its members are: Costa Rica, EI Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Purpose of this article is meant to be a reflection on these countries’ development of their external trade during the period 1960–1972

Service Quality in Community Pharmacy: an Exploration of Determinants

BACKGROUND: Although various instruments have been developed to measure customer satisfaction with community pharmacy services, there is limited research regarding pharmacy staffs’ understanding of service quality and its determinants. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the perceptions of pharmacy staff regarding the factors which constitute a high level of service quality using the service quality determinants proposed by the Conceptual Model of Service Quality. METHODS: Structured interviews were conducted with 27 pharmacy assistants and 6 pharmacists in three community pharmacies in Sydney. The interview questions focused on the participants’ perceptions of consumer expectations, the translation of these perceptions into service quality specifications, the actual service delivery and the communication to customers. RESULTS: From the pharmacy staff perspective, service quality is significantly limited by insufficient organisation-internal communication and control processes which impede role clarity and the resolution of conflicting role expectations among customer service staff. Participants indicated that these problems could be alleviated through the implementation of more transparent, realistic, measurable and accepted quality specifications by pharmacy management. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that the extent and quality to which pharmacy management sets, maintains and communicates service quality specifications to staff directly affects role clarity, role conflict and organisational commitment among customer service staff, which in turn directly influence the level of service quality provided to customers

Elderly Chinese and Vietnamese Immigrants’ Medicine Use and Attitudes to a Home Medicines Review

There is a paucity of research into the perceptions of elderly Australian ethnic minorities towards public health services related to quality use of medicines. Among the six fastest growing ethnic groups in Australia, the Mandarin-speaking Chinese and Vietnamese constitute the largest elderly populations with poor English skills. This paper investigates the relationships of elderly Chinese and Vietnamese migrants with medicines, general practitioners and pharmacists, and how these relationships influence their awareness and attitudes of the Home Medicines Review (HMR) program. Two semi-structured focus groups were held with a total of 17 HMR-eligible patients who have never received an HMR, one with Chinese and one with Vietnamese respondents, each in the respective community language. Confusion about medications and an intention to have an HMR were pronounced among all participants although none of them had heard of the program before participating in the focus groups. Respondents reported difficulties locating a pharmacist who spoke their native language, which contributed to an increased unmet need for medicine information. The Chinese group additionally complained about a lack of support from their general practitioners in relation to their medicine concerns and was adamant that they would prefer to have an HMR without the involvement of their general practitioner. Our results indicate a distinct HMR need but not use among elderly Chinese and Vietnamese eligible patients with poor English skills. HMR service use and perceived medication problems are likely to improve with an increasing availability of bi-lingual and culturally sensitive health care providers.Pharmacy Guild of Australi