Use of a Comic Book to Assist Pharmacy Student Learning of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

PURPOSE: To assess the pedagogical effectiveness of a comic book in pharmacy student learning of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). METHODS: Comparative-group, matched pre-posttest survey design was used to measure pharmacy students' comprehension of ACA. PharmD students (P-1year) from two sections of a Pharmacy and US Healthcare course participated in this study. Treatment group students received a comic book on ACA. The comparison group received the textual information, without pictures, from the book in a typed document. A posttest survey was administered later in the semester, before the instructor discussed ACA in class. Fourteen questions, developed from the information in the book and document, assessed pharmacy students' comprehension of ACA. Response options included a visual analogue scale. Independent sample t-test was used to assess the differences in the mean pre-posttest scores between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 103 (n = 49 comparison vs. n = 54 treatment group) students completed the survey. No statistically significant differences were found in the pre-test mean scores between the groups. Differences in the pre-post test mean scores of treatment group were significantly higher than the differences in the mean scores of the comparison group. Students agreed that the comic book format gave them a better understanding of ACA and increased their interest in learning more about the Act. CONCLUSION: Comic books were found to be effective in student learning of the ACA. The positive response from students highlight the point that pharmacy faculty could use comic books as supplemental reading in pharmacy courses.

Comics as a Medium for Providing Information on Adult Immunizations.

This study compared the following effects of two vaccine information flyers-one developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) versus one adapted from this information to a comic medium (comic)-on adults: (a) attitude toward the flyer; (b) perceived informativeness of the flyer; (c) intention to seek more information about adult immunizations after viewing the flyer; and (d) intention to get immunized after viewing the flyer. A between-group, randomized trial was used to randomly assign adults (age 18 years or older) at an ambulatory care center to review the CDC or comic flyer. Participants were asked to complete a survey to measure several outcome variables. Items were measured using a 7-point semantic differential scale. Independent-samples t-test was used for comparisons. A total of 265 surveys (CDC n = 132 vs comic n = 133) were analyzed. The comic flyer had a statistically significant effect on participants' attitudes and their perception of the flyer's informativeness compared to the CDC flyer. Flyer type did not have a statistically significant effect on intention-related variables. The study findings showed that the comic flyer was positively evaluated compared to the CDC flyer. These findings could provide a new direction for developing adult educational materials.

Effects of anthropomorphic images and narration styles in promotional messages for generic prescription drugs.

BACKGROUND: Anthropomorphism is attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman objects or events. Marketers have used anthropomorphized characters to promote products and services. To promote use of generic drugs to save on prescription drug costs, health systems are in the process of developing informational materials to influence consumer's perceptions about generic prescription drugs. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of anthropomorphic images (control vs caring vs authoritative) and information narration styles (first person vs third person) on (1) social presence, (2) attitude toward the overall promotional message, (3) perceived informativeness of the message content, (4) attitude toward specific message, (5) intent to seek information, and (6) intention to switch to a generic prescription drug. METHODS: A 3×2 between-subject factorial design was used. Student participants were administered a mock promotional message regarding generic prescription drugs. Following the promotional message, they were asked to respond to items developed to measure the effects of the promotional message. Manipulation checks were conducted to test the desired effects of the independent variables. Pilot testing, exploratory factor analysis, and reliability testing of the item measures were conducted before their use in the study. Analysis of variance was used to analyze the data and test the proposed effects of the independent variables. RESULTS: Anthropomorphic images showed a positive effect on social presence and attitude toward the specific message. Narration styles had a positive effect on attitude toward the overall promotional message. Neither anthropomorphic images nor narration styles had a significant effect on perceived informativeness, intent to seek information, and intention to switch to a generic prescription drug. CONCLUSIONS: This research reveals that anthropomorphism of medications and narration styles could play a significant role in promotional messages for generic prescription drugs. These findings provide a new direction in developing educational materials for information about generic prescription drugs.

Vaccine supply, demand, and policy: a primer.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of supply and demand issues in the vaccine industry and the policy options that have been implemented to resolve these issues. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Policy File, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts were searched to locate academic journal articles. Other sources reviewed included texts on the topics of vaccine history and policy, government agency reports, and reports from independent think tanks. Keywords included vaccines, immunizations, supply, demand, and policy. STUDY SELECTION: Search criteria were limited to English language and human studies. Articles pertaining to vaccine demand, supply, and public policy were selected and reviewed for inclusion. DATA EXTRACTION: By the authors. DATA SYNTHESIS: Vaccines are biologic medications, therefore making their development and production more difficult and costly compared with "small-molecule" drugs. Research and development costs for vaccines can exceed $800 million, and development may require 10 years or more. Strict manufacturing regulations and facility upgrades add to these costs. Policy options to increase and stabilize the supply of vaccines include those aimed at increasing supply, such as government subsidies for basic vaccine research, liability protection for manufacturers, and fast-track approval for new vaccines. Options to increase vaccine demand include advance purchase commitments, government stockpiles, and government financing for select populations. CONCLUSION: High development costs and multiple barriers to entry have led to a decline in the number of vaccine manufacturers. Although a number of vaccine policies have met with mixed success in increasing the supply of and demand for vaccines, a variety of concerns remain, including developing vaccines for complex pathogens and increasing immunization rates with available vaccines. New policy innovations such as advance market commitments and Medicare Part D vaccine coverage have been implemented and may aid in resolving some of the problems in the vaccine industry.