Usefulness of Kampo Medicine for Avoiding Polypharmacy Among Hospitalized Patients

Shizuko Takano; Michimi Nakamura; Akira Morita; Kouichi Ryuu; Yuuko Izumi; Chigusa Nagai; Akio Yagi; Hirohumi Shimada; Kouichi Nagamine; Yoshiro Hirasaki; Hideki Okamoto; Takao Namiki

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Usefulness of Kampo Medicine for Avoiding Polypharmacy Among Hospitalized Patients

VernacularTitle:薬剤数減量の観点から検討した漢方診療の有用性
Author: Shizuko TAKANO ¹ ; Michimi NAKAMURA ¹ ; Akira MORITA ² ; Kouichi RYUU ² ; Yuuko IZUMI ² ; Chigusa NAGAI ³ ; Akio YAGI ¹ ; Hirohumi SHIMADA ¹ ; Kouichi NAGAMINE ² ; Yoshiro HIRASAKI ¹ ; Hideki OKAMOTO ² ; Takao NAMIKI ¹
Author Information

1. Department of Japanese Oriental (Kampo) Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University
2. Department of Japanese Oriental (Kampo) Medicine, Chiba University Hospital
3. National Hospital Organization Chiba Medical Center
Keywords: polypharmacy; Kampo medicine; hospitalized patient; sho
From:Kampo Medicine 2018;69(4):328-335
CountryJapan
Language:Japanese
Abstract: We investigated the number of drugs and pharmaceutical cost among 159 patients prescribed Western medicine and hospitalized from August 2006 to August 2015 in the Department of Oriental (Kampo) Medicine at Chiba University Hospital. The number of drugs used in Western medicine among improved patients significantly decreased from 5.6 ± 3.6 at hospitalization to 5.3 ± 3.5 at discharge, but the number of Kampo medicine drugs was not changed. The total number of drugs including both Western medicine and Kampo medicine significantly decreased from 7.0 ± 3.8 to 6.7 ± 3.6. The number of drugs used in Western medicine among nochanged patients decreased from 5.1 ± 3.4 at hospitalization to 5.0 ± 3.7 at discharge, but the number of Kampo medicine drugs significantly increased from 1.0 ± 0.0 at hospitalization to 1.3 ± 0.5. The total number of drugs including both Western medicine and Kampo medicine increased from 6.1 ± 3.4 to 6.3 ± 3.9. We thus conclude that a combination of Kampo medicine with Western medicine can be useful for reducing the number of drugs related to polypharmacy. To achieve these results, it is essential to use the concept of sho (a way of pattern recognition of a patient's symptoms in Kampo medicine).