Conceptual model for outsourcing process in pharmaceutical supply chain

Pharmaceutical companies are regularly being challenged to meet the rising standards of quality, so as to comply with rigorous regulatory requirements. At the same time, the global pharmaceutical market has seen significant changes, forcing pharmaceutical companies to focus more than ever before on customer needs and their own internal efficiencies in order to continue to compete effectively on a local and global arena. Outsourcing services to a third party is a commonly accepted approach to reduce costs and to provide sites of excellence (manufacturing, distribution, research and development, analysis and testing, marketing), but it also holds many hidden risks. The winning formula of outsourcing processes is developing and sustaining a reliable Quality Management System, capable to control efficacy and efficiency of outsourced activities. In this article the conceptual model of outsourcing process has been proposed under the frame of PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act). Proposed model has been applied in outsourcing process of transport of medicines, as a case study. Furthermore, this case study has been implemented in the curriculum of postgraduate education in Pharmaceutical management in Faculty of pharmacy on University of Belgrade, as a practical course for understanding the complexity of outsourcing process in pharmaceutical supply chain

The impact of education on adolescents' sun behavior: Experiences from Serbia

Introduction In Serbia, there have been no broad campaigns or educational programs focused on adolescents' sun protection.Objective The aim of the study was to assess whether an educational program would have impact on changes of attitudes and sun-protective behaviors of high school students. More specific aim was to examine whether sex and age differences in sun behavior exists.Methods Educational program was designed to provoke changes in attitudes towards sun protection and sun behavior. The investigation was carried out in Belgrade, Serbia in two educational cycles, during spring 2007 and 2008. Sixteen- and 17-year old high schools students were targeted and assessed before and after the educational intervention by means of self-report questionnaire designed for this study (about skin types and sun behavior). The students' attitudes towards sun protection and sun behavior before and after the educational intervention were compared and analyzed by the Pearson's chi-square test and logistic regression analyses. In the second educational cycle (2008) age and gender differences in sun behavior were analyzed.Results Overall 3205 students in 2007, and 2155 students in 2008 year from 11 high schools participated. A statistically significant behavior change was observed for the use of sunglasses in 2007 the number of students using them increased from 41.6 % to 45.6% (

Modeling the effect of the inclination angle on natural convection from a flat plate: the case of a photovoltaic module

status: publishe

Comprehensive qualitative evaluation of the first ever full-time online course for medical students in one middle-income country

ABSTRACTThe measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic in the academic 2020/2021 included full-time online courses for medical students in Serbia for the first time since the faculty was founded in 1920. The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes and opinions about the full-time online course among medical students and their teachers. A qualitative study was carried out in the autumn of 2021. In-depth interviews were conducted with 38 participants (27 students in the 4th study year and 11 teachers who teach in the 3rd study year) about their experiences in the past academic year. To select study participants, purposive sampling was employed. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative content analysis was applied. Five topics emerged: 1) Theoretical online learning, 2) Practical online learning, 3) Motivation, 4) Technical aspects of online learning and 5) Evaluation of knowledge. Overall, students’ attitudes toward theoretical classes were mostly negative, but the attitudes of teachers were mostly positive. However, the attitudes of both students and teachers toward practical online classes were mostly negative. Students were, in general, less motivated to follow online classes compared to conventional courses, even though the teachers felt that they had to put more effort into making a suitable online course. Most participants considered that the online classes had a negative impact on their knowledge and practical skills, but their academic achievement was not inferior compared to previous years. The full-time online course should include conventional on-site teaching. The relevance of acquiring practical skills is strongly emphasized

Validation of the osteoporosis quality of life questionnaire QUALEFFO-41 for the Serbian population

Abstract Background Vertebral fractures could lead to reduced physical, social and mental functioning, and loss of personal independence. Therefore, during the treatment of osteoporosis, it has become necessary to examine the changes in everyday functioning, well-being and health related quality of life (HRQOL). To that effect, this study aims to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Serbian version of Quality of Life Questionnaire of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis (QUALEFFO-41) for patients with vertebral fractures. Methods Nine female patients with osteoporosis participated in the pre-validation study. A validation, case–control study included two groups of female patients: one that consisted of 50 female patients with osteoporosis, and with at least one vertebral fracture, and another one that consisted of 50 control patients with osteoporosis but without fractures. They completed the QUALEFFO-41 and the EuroQol group questionnaire with five dimensions (EQ-5D) twice within a month. The validation study examined internal consistency, concurrent validity, test-retest reliability, sensitivity and specificity. Results During the pre-validation study, three of the items in the QUALEFFO-41 were slightly changed. Afterwards, during the validation study, the statistically significant differences (adjusted for: age, duration of menopause, current employment and marital status) in the mean values of all domains and total scores between the groups were noted. For the case group, the internal consistency of the QUALEFFO-41 domains and of total questionnaire was above 0.70. The test-retest reliability was tested by the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) that were in range 0.87 – 0.96 for the case, and 0.15 – 0.83 for the control group. Correlations between the total scores of the QUALEFFO-41 and the EQ-5D health state value, for both groups were negative and statistically significant (r = -0.78, p Conclusions The Serbian QUALEFFO-41 version is reliable, valid, sensitive and predictive for examinations of HRQOL in patients with prevalent vertebral fractures and can be used in further studies.</p