Abstract
Purpose : We provided a lecture on medical expenses related to the “dispensing fee” for health insurance pharmacies for the local residents in order to determine if there was a change in their preferred community pharmacies' pre- and post-lecture.
Methods : Questionnaires were provided to 34 participants, pre- and post-lecture, with responses analysed from 29 participants who completed the questionnaires in full.
Results : The percentage of respondents who had not observed receipts with National Health Insurance points was 34.5％, while 25.0％ responded that they had paid with the foreknowledge of the existence of such points. Following completion of the lecture, “drug administration guidance” showed an increase of 55.2％, and “dispensing” , “medication history management” and “pharmaceutical inquiry to the doctor” had also increased to 27.6％, 27.6％ and 20.7％, respectively.. Reasons for the selection requirements of participants' preferred community pharmacies' showed a decrease of 37.9％ related to there being “a pharmacy in the vicinity of a hospital” , whereas “a pharmacy with good administration guidance” and “a pharmacy with good counseling” increased by 72.5％ and 20.7％, respectively.
Conclusion : Through the provision of explanation of the medical insurance “dispensing fee” as explained by community pharmacists to local residents, this may induce favorable effects on their selection requirements for use of community pharmacies.

As of 2011, about 12.8 million people in Japan had osteoporosis, which is a social issue in that it increases the number of patients who are bedridden or require residential care and its poor prognosis increases the mortality rate. We delivered a presentation on osteoporosis prevention to residents;the presentation consisted of ultrasound bone densitometry readings followed by a slide show, based on the readings. This report summarizes the presentation and considers whether it was effective in enhancing awareness of osteoporosis. The presentation was given to 39 residents, who were asked to complete a questionnaire before and after it. Of the 31 female respondents, 16.1 percent had bone density in the “low or caution” range;for all eight male respondents, it was “sufficient” or “average.” After the presentation, over 90 percent of respondents selected “agree” or “slightly agree” in response to the statements “I want to have regular exercise and participate in sports,” “I want to eat nutritionally sound meals,” and “understanding one’s bone density is useful for the prevention of osteoporosis.” In addition, 97.4 percent of the residents responded that the lecture was “useful” or “somewhat useful,” and 94.9 percent indicated satisfaction with it. The presentation was considered to be useful in enhancing residents’ awareness of osteoporosis.