The consensus view presented offers practical and realistic guidance for policy-makers and community pharmacists on the sale of OTC products. It reflects the best evidence to date of expert views in this area and accords with current UK guidelines. The effective implementation of these strategies can only be achieved with improved communication and coordination at local and national level.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of perceived satisfaction with mobile payment applications based on use experience, and subsequent stated expectations on brand loyalty and future use behavior using a theory-based research integrative model of factors that influence Arabs’ intentions to use mobile payment application(s). Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model was developed using the mixed research method approach. The focus group approach was used for the qualitative study and structural equation modeling for the quantitative study. Primary data were collected online. Participants were 305 Arab consumers from nine countries in the Middle East. Findings Satisfaction with the quality of mobile payment application(s) increased use experience and enhanced consumers’ expectations, which in turn positively affected loyalty and purchase intentions. Research limitations/implications The study encompassed mobile payment application(s) in nine countries rather than focusing on one market, or on one product type and business. The paper did not perform a comparative study between sampled Arab countries, but rather it sees all countries and respondents just as Arabs. Practical implications Service providers should build mobile application(s) based on the features of usability, availability, reliability, adaptability, accessibility, responsiveness and security. Originality/value This study is one of the first studies that empirically examines mobile payment consumer’s usage behavior from nine countries of the Arab world where there is scarce research on the topic in the region.

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The Internet is changing the concept of distance education and universities through its increased involvement in education (Burnett, 2001). Distance education and online instruction have dramatically increased over the last 20 years due to technological advances in the Internet and the prevalence of sophisticated course management systems (Beqiri, Chase, & Bishka, 2010; Wang, 2007). Communication technologies, including the Internet, are facilitating learning through, providing higher education institutions the ability to deliver and receive learning information in a more flexible manner (Concannon, Flynn, & Campbell, 2005). An electronic approach is normally facilitated and supported by teleconferencing, chat rooms and discussion boards through Skype technologies (Lin, 2009). Nowadays, Skypeis regarded an essential tool in academia (Jayanthi, Srivatsa, & Ramesh, 2007). The severe political conflict in Syria affected higher education by the loss of many of its academics through the increased and significant level of immigration among university professors, thus resulting in very limited expertise in the Syrian market, especially for emerging faculties, such as the Faculty of Tourism. Limited financial resources at Damascus University, and the high risk of travel to Syria imposed further challenges. Moreover, visa restrictions ABSTRACT Technology-based learning modules are mostly challenged by their acceptance. A single-case study and mixed research method are used to explore a unique situation of applying digital lectures at the postgraduate Programmes at the Faculty of Tourism at Damascus University as a solution for brain drain in the Syrian higher education system. Results indicate that Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy (EE), Personal Innovativeness and Satisfaction with the Quality of Services have a significant effect on students' Behavioural Intention to accept digital lectures. This effect was stronger for males. However, EE was a better predictor for students under 30. In addition, students regarded the use of digital lectures as an alternative plan to continuing their postgraduate studies abroad within the current restrictions on Syrians. For the future successful implementation of e-learning modules, infrastructure-related issues should be taken into account. The study recommends universities going through brain drain and similar crisis situations to utilise digital lectures.

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