SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT OF DRUGS IN PHARMACIES IN THE EARLY STAGES OF COVID-19

A pharmacy is a health care institution engaged in the activity of providing health care for the supply of medicines, where it provides the medicine and the professional information related to its use directly to patients. A pharmacy can only obtain medicine from an organization that has a pharmaceutical wholesale license. In Hungary, there are 7 large pharmaceutical wholesalers serving the needs of pharmacies, however, each pharmacy is connected to a maximum of 2-3 wholesalers and in addition there is usually only one that delivers twice a day and in case of any order limit. This is done on the basis of an individual agreement or contract between pharmacies and wholesalers.

Introduction to Volume 16 Issue 2

[...]the authors conducted group interviews with caregivers of the adults with l/DD. [...]in this section, Norah Sinclair, Sheryl Ballenger, and Maureen Linden's article, Inclusive Design Thinking for Health Messaging in American Sign Language during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study Brief, provides a case study highlighting an inclusive design thinking framework that supported the development of accessible, culturally relevant COVID-19 materials for ASL speakers. [...]it identified additional gaps in COVID-19 information (e.g., adaptations to face masks for people with various disabilities), conducted a webinar series on these topics, and engaged in extensive dissemination of the products produced. [...]Johan Rempel discusses The Importance of Braille During a Pandemic and Beyond.

Commercial Airline Passengers' Willingness to Fly with COVID-19 Safety Measures

In the commercial aviation industry, safety is always a primary concern, with a central focus on the well-being of passengers and crew members. Given the significance of safety, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in drastic changes to the way commercial airlines operate. The airline industry has had to adopt precautions to help ensure safety by minimizing the risk of transmission for both passengers and airline employees during air travel. We examined passengers' willingness to fly with various commercial airline COVID-19 safety precaution scenarios: control (none), face coverings (masks), negative PCR test, boarding and deplaning five rows at a time, and paired combinations of these precautions. The within-subject design assessed Willingness to Fly (Rice et al., 2015, 2020) for all scenarios in random order. Participants were recruited from the US Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) user population. Willingness to fly was positive for all scenarios (N= 202). The control scenario, with no precautions listed, had the lowest willingness to fly (0.69);Scenario 3, negative PCR test required, had the highest willingness to fly (0.81). Flowever, contrary to expectations, there was no statistically significant difference in willingness to fly between the scenarios. These results suggest that participants are willing to fly regardless of the precautions, meaning that air travelers are still willing to fly under the commonly used pandemic precautions or without.

The implications of COVID-19 at the demand of masks and hygiene products in Jordan

This research aims to determine the level of implication of COVID-19 on the demand for masks and hygiene products in the Jordanian markets. The researchers found that the demand and usage ofmasks and hygiene products have increased, also the lifestyle and daily-living purchasing of Jordanians have been affected by this pandemic. This research depends on three ways online questionnaires, physical interviews, and phone calls to collect data. The Jordan government takes into consideration the implications of this pandemic on the social, health, and economic situations. It has facilitated to the construction of mask factories in the country, and it has made strategic collaborations in import and export with different countries around the world. This research describes both two sides of the economic and market situation of the masks and hygiene products in Jordan. A mixed method approach was adopted to achieve the objectives of the study, consisting of an online survey questionnaire followed by semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data from the questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS 25 software and the qualitative data of each interview have been analyzed using thematically and textual analysis. The findings revealed that the demand for masks and hygiene products is affected by COVID-19 from 2020-2021.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the E-commerce Companies in China

[...]it has a positive effect. Because the buyers and sellers do not need to meet face-to-face and are carried out in the open Internet network environment, various business activities of e-commerce have incredibly played its advantages. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is reflected in the daily increase in cases and deaths. [...]this paper attempts to solve the problems of what is the overall impact of Covid-19 on Chinese e-commerce companies in 2020. According to Nakhete and Jain (2020), 205 countries and their economies and politics have been infected with the virus. According to the survey, 52% of consumers avoid shopping in physical stores, and 36% of them do not go to the physical stores before they are vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, which means that the short run of the fundamental business is declining.

CEO interview-Mr. Jingbang Zhang, EVP of Yagao Meihua Hotel Management Co., Ltd and CEO of Madison Brand, Shanghai, China

Purpose>The purpose of this paper is to interview Mr. Jingbang Zhang, EVP of Yagao Meihua Hotel Management Co., Ltd & CEO of Madison Brand based in Shanghai, China, regarding the impact of COVID-19 on China’s hotel industry and potential post-COVID-19 trends.Design/methodology/approach>Interview with hotel group CEO and industry leader in China.Findings>Several effects of COVID-19 and potential trends are discussed from a hotel CEO’s perspective.Originality/value>Tourism and hospitality stakeholders will acquire a better understanding of the impacts of COVID-19 on China’s hotel industry and possible post-COVID-19 adjustments

THE IMPACT OF TRANSPORT ACTIVITY ON THE MOROCCAN SUPPLY CHAIN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The Covid-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted all areas of our private and public lives, including how we travel and how our goods reach their final destinations. The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting our mobility and transportation functions in unprecedented ways. It serves as a reminder of the importance of the movement of people and goods to our economy and society, but also of the industry's structural weaknesses. The supply chain has been strongly impacted by the devastating effects caused by the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global economy. The degree of impact of these effects has reached companies' supply chains, particularly in terms of transport activity. For this, We carried out a study on the impact of transport activity on the supply chain of 196 Moroccan companies during the spread of the Covid-19 Virus. Thanks to the Chi-square test and the non-parametric Kruskal-Walis test, we found that the supply chain was significantly impacted by the disruption of this activity, particularly in terms of supply, purchase, and transport of goods ( p < 0.01) and a weak effect on production (p < 0.1). We found that the level of the chain disturbance is related to the nature of the transport. The upstream of the supply chain was impacted by the disruption of the transport of information while the downstream of the supply chain was influenced by the transport of goods.

Adoption of Non-Technological Health Innovations: The Case of Mask Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil

The use of masks to prevent COVID-19 infections generated much controversy and disagreements among the population, infectious disease specialists, and government representatives. Western countries were not used to using facial masks, and their adoption can be considered a non-technological innovation. This article explores the determinants of the intention to adopt, the actual use, and the continued intention to use a facemask to prevent COVID-19 infections in Brazil. Through structural equation modeling (SEM), relationships between constructs from the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the construct of trust in the authorities were applied to test the study's hypotheses. The results suggest that perceived behavior control, subjective norms, and trust in the authorities are significant motivators for the actual use and continued intention to use facial masks in Brazil.

Pandemic-Related Workplace Violence and Its Impact on Public Health Officials, March 2020–January 2021

Objectives. To characterize the experience and impact of pandemic-related workplace violence in the form of harassment and threats against public health officials. Methods. We used a mixed methods approach, combining media content and a national survey of local health departments (LHDs) in the United States, to identify harassment against public health officials from March 2020 to January 2021. We compared media-portrayed experiences, survey-reported experiences, and publicly reported position departures. Results. At least 1499 harassment experiences were identified by LHD survey respondents, representing 57% of responding departments. We also identified 222 position departures by public health officials nationally, 36% alongside reports of harassment. Public health officials described experiencing structural and political undermining of their professional duties, marginalization of their expertise, social villainization, and disillusionment. Many affected leaders remain in their positions. Conclusions. Interventions to reduce undermining, ostracizing, and intimidating acts against health officials are needed for a sustainable public health system. We recommend training leaders to respond to political conflict, improving colleague support networks, providing trauma-informed worker support, investing in long-term public health staffing and infrastructure, and establishing workplace violence reporting systems and legal protections.

Harassment of Health Officials: A Significant Threat to the Public's Health

Local and state public health officials, who before the pandemic mainly worked behind the scenes to protect the public's health, were quickly thrust into the spotlight alongside their governors, mayors, and county commissioners to explain public health mitigation efforts such as business and school closures, mandatory mask orders, and social distancing recommendations. Before COVID-19, state and territorial health officials faced opposition from members of the public for supporting efforts to ban youth vaping and the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, for failing to support (and in some states for supporting) the use of cannabis for medical or recreational use, for enforcing vaccination requirements for school entry, or for supporting taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. A VIEW FROM THE FIELD As the executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), I have seen firsthand the stress, strain, and cognitive dissonance that results from the denigration and defamation of our public health leaders. By November 2021, almost every state legislature has seen the introduction of a bill to weaken or remove the emergency powers of governors and/or local or state health officials.11 Successful efforts to reduce the power of public health authorities are a Pyrrhic victory: knee-jerk reactions that incite one's political base but with potentially deadly consequences for all of us when health officials' hands are tied in new outbreaks.

The role of healthcare supply chain management in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic: hot off the press

Purpose>The study aims to examine the role of health-care supply chain management during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-section of 42 selected sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.Design/methodology/approach>The study used cross-sectional robust least square regression for parameter estimates.Findings>The results confirmed the N-shaped relationship between the health-care logistics performance index (HLPI) and COVID-19 cases. It implies that initially HLPI increases along with an increase in COVID-19 cases. Later down, it decreases COVID-19 cases by providing continued access to medical devices and personal protective equipment. Again, it increases due to resuming economic activities across countries.Practical implications>The continuing health-care supply chain is crucial to minimize COVID-19 cases. The international support from the developed world in providing health-care equipment, debt resettlement and resolving regional conflicts is deemed desirable to escape the SSA countries from the COVID-19 pandemic.Originality/value>The importance of the health-care supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic is evident in the forecasting estimates, which shows that from August 2021 to April 2022, increasing the health-care supply chain at their third-degree level would reduce coronavirus registered cases. The results conclude that SSA countries required more efforts to contain coronavirus cases by thrice increasing their health-care logistics supply chain.

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT: ESTABLISHING A SUSTAINABLE COVID-19 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE UNIT

Due to the increased number of hospitalizations linked to COVID-19 infections, three of NewYork-Presbyterian's inpatient psychiatric units were converted into ICU units. Because many psychiatric patients required both medical and psychiatric care, leadership at Gracie Square teamed up with NewYork-Presbyterian enterprise to dedicate their units to COVID-19 psychiatric patients. A SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE UNIT Gracie Square leaders knew that with effective management, a team approach, and precise planning, they could minimize the healthcare crisis's adverse effects. During the implementation phase, leaders identified and categorized some of the problems they would face, such as delay or lack of accurate and timely information, staff shortages, psychological reactions, and equipment shortage, all of which could lead to a failed project and increased mortality. Managing medical and psychiatric emergencies concurrently was difficult;system-wide meetings of Gracie Square senior leaders and other psychiatric facilities of NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital three times a week meant a constant change of COVID-19 protocols for identifying high-risk patients and setting guidelines for how often vitals and pulse oximetry were measured.

How the Pandemic Further Isolated the Incarcerated

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) workplace complaints rose by more than 15% between February and October 2020, with the majority revolving around unacceptable COVID-19 workplace conditions that essential workers had to endure1 however, this metric did not extend to the voices of incarcerated populations, who have been vital to the functioning of our society but have not received proper protection. When the system is allowed to engage in "violent inaction," incarcerated individuals are left purposefully hidden.2 The lack of data transparency in COVID-19 case reports and the personal protective equipment supplied to jails and prisons, coupled with sluggish legislation (e.g., the half-year gap in the tabling of the COVID-19 in Corrections Data Transparency Act), permits carceral facilities to mask the barbaric conditions faced by this vulnerable population. [...]human rights violations incarcerated individuals faced during the pandemic (and continue to face) include increased solitary confinement owing to lockdowns,3 canceled in-person visitations, and loss of physical mail from family members as cards were converted to PDFs.4 Many of us have seen our communities step up by asking for individuals to be released, advocating for vaccine prioritization, and working to address vaccine hesitancy in incarcerated settings.5,6 Unfortunately, that is not enough.

Weathering the storm: what successful SMEs are doing to beat the pandemic

Purpose>The purpose of this paper is to identify the configurations of working capital and customer and supplier diversification employed by successful small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approach>This study employed a combinatory methodology to analyze how 124 Brazilian SMEs configured – before and during the pandemic – the size of their working capital and their levels of dependency on clients and suppliers.Findings>High levels of working capital and supplier diversification were found to be key to SMEs' ability to thrive before and during the pandemic. However, while SMEs that were growing prior to the pandemic depended on a few major customers, firms flourishing during this time have divided their sales among many clients.Research limitations/implications>This study focuses on what configurations SMEs have adopted during the crisis. Qualitative studies are needed to identify how SMEs reconfigure themselves in the face of a major crisis.Practical implications>The results of this study indicate that SMEs hit by the pandemic should avoid retrenchment strategies. They might have better chances of success if they embrace their vulnerability and take risks to foster growth.Social implications>The results of the study can help SMEs respond to the economic crisis caused by COVID-19, which has already caused the failure of millions of businesses worldwide.Originality/value>This is the first empirical investigation of SMEs that are weathering the pandemic, and in this study, the authors have analyzed the three aspects of their operations, which have been struck the hardest by the crisis.

Management control and supply chain operational performance of public health emergency to pandemic control: MRN

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to first, determine the implications of management control system (MCS) information characteristics for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic through four performance indicators (quality, speed of delivery, availability and cost-effectiveness) of the public health supply chain and second, the mediating effect of four dimensions (broad scope, timeliness, integration and aggregation) of the MCS on external integration, internal integration, customer integration and operational performance of public health institutions in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachUsing covariance-based structural equations modelling and based on contingency theory, a hypothesized model was developed and tested. The sample involves a survey of 214 public health institutions in Ghana.FindingsBoth external and internal integration were found to have a significant positive effect on MCS information and, in turn, on the supply chain operational performance of public health institutions. Also, customer integration has a significant positive impact on the four dimensions with a corresponding impact on supply chain operational performance.Practical implicationsThe paper provides practitioners and policymakers with the usefulness of the contingency paradigm in enhancing the supply chain network of public health institutions during epidemics, hence, the need to adopt and develop the contingency approach in designing MCS within the public health sector. Effective public health management through a collaborative process between stakeholders (suppliers, customers and personnel) will mitigate stockouts of medical supplies and systematic disruptions in the public health supply chain.Originality/valueThe MCSs – supply chain integration interaction on organizational performance is one of the areas that has received very little attention in the literature particularly in service-oriented organizations. In this regard, this paper represents one of the few studies in Africa that examines performance implications of MCS – supply chain nexus with respect to public health emergencies service-orientec organizations. The paper contributes to the literature by providing invaluable insights into the usefulness of the MCS in enhancing the supply chain performance of public health emergencies.

Let the buyer beware: how network structure can enable (and prevent) supply chain fraud

PurposeSupply chain fraud is a significant global concern for firms, consumers and governments. Evidence of major fraud events suggests the role of supply chain structures in enabling and facilitating fraud, as they often involve several parties in complicated networks designed to obfuscate the fraud. This paper identifies how the structural characteristics of supply chains can play an important role in enabling, facilitating and preventing fraud.Design/methodology/approachThe research follows a theory elaboration approach. The authors build on structural holes theory in conjunction with a multiple case study research design to identify new concepts and develop propositions regarding the role of network structure on supply chain fraud.FindingsThis research shows how structural holes in a supply chain can create advantages for unscrupulous firms, a role we call tertius fraudans, or the cheating third. This situation is exacerbated by structural ignorance, which refers to the lack of knowledge about structural connections in the network. Both structural holes and structural ignorance can create information gaps that facilitate fraud, and the authors propose solutions to detect and prevent this kind of fraud.Originality/valueThis paper extends structural holes theory into the domain of fraud. Novel concepts including tertius fraudans, structural ignorance and bridge collapse are offered, alongside a series of propositions that can help understand and manage structural supply chain fraud.

Grey clustering of the variations in the back-to-front airplane boarding method considering COVID-19 flying restrictions

PurposeThe airline industry has been significantly hit by the occurrence of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, facing one of its worst crises in history. In this context, the present paper analyses one of the well-known boarding methods used in practice by the airlines before and during the coronavirus outbreak, namely back-to-front and suggests which variations of this method to use when three passenger boarding groups are considered and a jet bridge connects the airport terminal with the airplane.Design/methodology/approachBased on the importance accorded by the airlines to operational performance, health risks, and passengers' comfort, the variations in three passenger groups back-to-front boarding are divided into three clusters using the grey clustering approach offered by the grey systems theory.FindingsHaving the clusters based on the selected metrics and considering the social distance among the passengers, airlines can better understand how the variations in back-to-front perform in the new conditions imposed by the novel coronavirus and choose the boarding approach that better fits its policy and goals.Originality/valueThe paper combines the advantages offered by grey clustering and agent-based modelling for offering to determine which are the best configurations that offer a reduced boarding time, while accounting for reduced passengers' health risk, measured through three indicators: aisle risk, seat risk and type-3 seat interferences and for an increased comfort for the passengers manifested through a continuous walking flow while boarding.

TrueFootprint, Ltd.: a case study in the use of SME innovation to combat the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThis case study aims to explore the efforts of a small start-up company, whose unique solutions are being deployed in the fight against COVID-19, with encouraging results. Using innovative technology and local volunteer networks, they have set out to identify the medical needs of local care providers, while reducing the effects of fraud, corruption and mis-management.Design/methodology/approachThis case study involved the interrogation of data made available by the company and an interview with the chief executive officer.FindingsThe research suggests that small enterprises can have a positive impact, far beyond what either the state or the market might assume. By properly equipping and empowering people at the grassroots level, they can identify and solve local resourcing issues and root-out fraud, corruption and mismanagement before they happen.Originality/valueThis is a unique approach to the problem of resource management in the non-profit sector, with implications for grant projects beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Face mask effects during COVID-19: perspectives of managers, practitioners and customers in the hotel industry

PurposeThe novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has completely changed the landscape of the hospitality industry. The World Health Organization does not officially recommend wearing face masks in the workplace. Wearing face masks is controversial worldwide, however it has been widely adopted in Hong Kong society. Hospitality practitioners have worn face masks to work and serve customers for almost a year long, matching the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper proposes a conceptual model of face mask effects and also discusses and evaluates the effects of wearing face masks during the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA convenience sampling method is employed to investigate hospitality operators using in-depth and focus group interviews with managers, front-line staff and customers.FindingsThe perspectives of both hospitality practitioners and customers are included in this study. The concepts of (1) invisible care, (2) sense of safety and (3) service trust have been introduced in this study. These provide valuable insights for the service industry when facing a large-scale health crisis, now and in the future.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper analyzes interview data collected from 35 respondents – 14 managers, 6 practitioners and 15 customers – in order to understand the critical effects of wearing face masks during the pandemic and the perspectives of both hospitality practitioners and customers.Practical implicationsFor the hospitality industry, wearing face mask in service has already become a “new normal”, face mask effects might create an impact on service design, service delivery and service quality.Originality/valueThe findings show that wearing face masks turns hygiene and safety into a form of invisible care in the Asian hospitality industry. Practitioners' perspective regarding the necessity of a smile is less important to Asian customers, showing a discrepancy between the two parties. Customers do not believe that service quality has dropped due to the wearing of masks, but that the level of hygiene has risen. Unlike customers, practitioners are more concerned about not providing good quality service. However, the interview data show that respondents generally agree that mask wearing is a gesture and symbol for the hospitality industry to make tangible a new form of caring, professionalism, safety concern and communication.