The balanced tensor product of module categories

The balanced tensor product M (x)_A N of two modules over an algebra A is the vector space corepresenting A-balanced bilinear maps out of the product M x N. The balanced tensor product M [x]_C N of two module categories over a monoidal linear category C is the linear category corepresenting C-balanced right-exact bilinear functors out of the product category M x N. We show that the balanced tensor product can be realized as a category of bimodule objects in C, provided the monoidal linear category is finite and rigid

Predisposing, Enabling, and Need Factors Associated with the Choice of Pharmacy Type in the US: Findings from the 2015/2016 National Consumer Survey on the Medication Experience and Pharmacists’ Roles

Background: Knowing the type of pharmacy used by the patient is meaningful to the pharmacist. Previous studies have assessed different factors predicting the kind of pharmacy selection and reached inconsistent findings. Objectives: To identify patient and health-related factors associated with pharmacy type selection. Methods: The Andersen Behavioral Model of Health Service Use was used to organize the selection of patient characteristics and categorize them as predisposing, enabling, and need factors. The dependent variable was the type of pharmacy used. Logistic regression was used to predict the association between patient-related characteristics and the type of pharmacy used. Results: Older age respondents were less likely to use independent pharmacies (OR = 0.992) and more likely to use mail pharmacy services (OR = 1.026). Highly educated people showed higher use of chain and mail pharmacies (OR = 1.272, 1.185, respectively) and less tendency to use the independent, supermarket, and prescription-only pharmacy types. Men were less likely to use chain pharmacies (OR = 0.932) and more likely to use supermarket pharmacies than women. Patients who use Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services had higher odds of using independent and supermarket pharmacies (OR = 2.808, 1.689, respectively). Patients with a higher number of chronic diseases and experienced side effects of medications were more likely to use independent pharmacies (OR for number of disease = 1.097 and for side effects = 1.095). Conclusions: This study’s findings identify characteristics associated with selecting certain pharmacy settings and direct future research to include other predictors encompassing beliefs, attitudes, and other social factors

Greater Expectations for Pharmaceutical Value: Better Care, Healthier People, Smarter Spending

Type: Commentar

Use of National Consumer Survey Data to Explore Perceptions of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Background: Although Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has been the standard of therapy in Asia for centuries, it started receiving more attention in the U.S. in the last three decades. Objectives: The primary study objective was to explore individuals\u27 perspectives of CAM. A secondary objective was to describe individuals\u27 perceptions of pharmacists’ roles in facilitating their use of these services and products. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2015 and 2016 National Consumer Surveys on the Medication Experience and Pharmacist Roles. Data were collected from adults residing in the United States via on-line, self-administered surveys coordinated by Qualtrics Panels between April 28 and June 22, 2015 (n = 26,173) and between March 14 and 30, 2016 (n = 10,500). This study focused on written comments made in the surveys with Content Conventional Analysis applied to the text. Four researchers were trained to conduct coding to assess inter-judge reliability. The four judges had a high level of agreement which was greater than 0.95 for category type. Results: Out of a total of 36,673 respondents, 80% (29,426) submitted written comments at the end of the survey. Of these, 2,178 comments were about medications or health and 170 (8%) comments specifically about CAM, of which 136 (6%) were usable for analysis. Conventional Content Analysis revealed five themes:1)The role of pharmaceutical and insurance companies in CAM; 2) Overuse of medications; 3) Physicians can play a role in creating a balance between prescription use and CAM; 4) Individuals believe that CAM is more effective than Western medicines and prefer it; 5) Individuals want pharmacists to have a better understanding of CAM. The results of this study reveal individuals’ opinions regarding how they want CAM to be considered in their interactions with their healthcare team. Conclusion: Emergent themes suggest that individuals are interested in receiving more professionals’ healthcare to become more knowledgeable about CAM

Science, Innovation, and Innovation in the Science of Pharmacy

Type: Invitatio

Medication Information Seeking Behavior in a Social Context: The Role of Lay and Professional Social Network Contacts

This study provided a view of the social context of medication information seeking from a patient’s perspective.This was an exploratory qualitative study with 40 adults to determine how patients communicate within social networks to seek medication information. Semi-structured interviews were used to determine the structure (who), the content provided (what), and the function of social sources of information (how/why). Data underwent ethnographic content analysis using theory and prior research driven themes. Coding matrices were created to identify emerging patterns for who supplied what information and how the information was used. Participants described seeking medication information from health professional or lay social network sources. Health professional sources’ strongest role was to provide factual information. In contrast, lay sources provided factual information and affective information such as personal experiences and beliefs or attitudes. Information sought from social sources displayed similar functioning roles in terms of how the information was used by the participants seeking the information. The study concluded that medication information is sought from social sources both inside and outside of healthcare. Emerging patterns found that lay sources may provide patients more than affective information about medications. Further, patients may be receiving factually based information other than from health professionals. By coming to a more complete understanding of the social nature of the information environment, health professionals can better understand information needs from a patient’s perspective

Hospitalized Patients' Perceived Knowledge and Risk of Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor Medications Before and After a Pharmacist's Classroom-Based Education

Objective: Assess if a classroom-based pharmacy education service for hospitalized headache patients newly prescribed a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) results in, 1) higher self-perceived medication knowledge, or 2) lower perceived risk of using MAOIs. Subjects: Individuals admitted to an inpatient headache unit over a five month period Methods: Patient survey administered before and after the education service to any patient newly prescribed an MAOI. Results: Seventy-eight individuals completed the study. Paired-samples t-tests showed that for each of the four items related to self-perceived medication knowledge, the scores reflected higher knowledge after the MAOI class compared to before the class (p < 0.05). For three out of the four items related to perceived risk of using MAOIs, the scores reflected a lower level of perceived risk after the MAOI class compared to before the class (p < 0.05). One item did not significantly change: "The MAOI prescribed for me is just as good as other products available for treating headache." Conclusion: Our results demonstrate a pharmacist-conducted, classroom-based teaching method for newly prescribed MAOI patients can result in higher self-perceived medication knowledge and lower perceived risks. Type: Original Researc