Current Status of Bioanalytical Labs in the Saga Pharmaceutical Association’s Self-measurement of Blood Glucose in Community Pharmacies Project

Masao Ohmitsu; Akiyo Tokubuchi; Yudai Yonekura; Hiromi Kawano; Naoki Magaribuchi; Hiroshi Hotokezaka; Hironori Aramaki

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Current Status of Bioanalytical Labs in the Saga Pharmaceutical Association’s Self-measurement of Blood Glucose in Community Pharmacies Project

VernacularTitle:佐賀県薬剤師会における自己血糖測定事業に参加した薬局の検体測定室の現状調査
Author: Masao OHMITSU ¹ ; Akiyo TOKUBUCHI ² ; Yudai YONEKURA ¹ ; Hiromi KAWANO ³ ; Naoki MAGARIBUCHI ⁴ ; Hiroshi HOTOKEZAKA ⁵ ; Hironori ARAMAKI ¹
Author Information

1. Daiichi University of Pharmacy
2. Ikkodo Pharmacy Corporation
3. Kumashiro Pharmacy Corporation
4. Asahi Pharmacy Corporation
5. Saga Pharmaceutical Association
Keywords: bioanalytical labs; self-measurement of blood glucose; community pharmacy; health support pharmacy
From:Japanese Journal of Social Pharmacy 2019;38(1):27-31
CountryJapan
Language:Japanese
Abstract: As part of the “Project to Promote Utilization of Pharmacies and Pharmacists as a Health Information Base” commissioned by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Saga Pharmaceutical Association carried out a self-measurement of blood glucose project in FY2014 and 2015. The present state of the Bioanalytical Labs in community pharmacies that participated in the self-measurement of blood glucose project nearly one and a half years ago was investigated. This project aimed to establish Bioanalytical Labs inside the community pharmacies to recommend hospital checkups to local residents based on the test results of self-measured blood glucose. In this study, a survey was given to those pharmacies to evaluate the present utilization status of the Bioanalytical Labs. About half of the pharmacies had canceled their Lab designation (46.4%). The most frequent reason for not continuing the designation was “Number of staff engaged in the measurement”, and that for continuing the designation, “To contribute to local residents self-medication”(53.6%). These pharmacies still promote self-measurements of blood glucose and encourage checkups to local residents who are above standard blood glucose levels and HbA1c and could be at risk of developing diabetes. Based on the above results, pharmacies that are continuing the Bioanalytical Labs have been shown to be used as bases for health support information in their local community. Therefore, while the shortage of pharmacists in rural areas is being pointed out, even from the viewpoint of promoting health support pharmacies, it is necessary to discuss seriously on how to secure the personnel required for continuing the Bioanalytical Labs.