Objective: To identify consumer opinions on the online sales of over-the-counter drugs (“OTCs”) and related factors.
Methods: A Web survey of consumers was conducted.  The main questions were: (1) Respondent attributes; (2) Frequency of purchasing OTCs; (3) Behaviors while in poor physical condition or while ill; (4) Experience of side effects; (5) Experience of purchasing health foods and OTCs online; (6) Opinion on online sales, and (7) The reasons for their opinion.  Respondents were grouped into two categories based on whether they were for or against online sales in (6).  The distributions of the answers to (1) through (5) from these groups were verified using the χ² test.  Text mining was used to closely examine the answers to (7).
Results: 68.5% of the 2,609 respondents were in favor of online sales, with 31.5% against.  Females and elderly respondents had higher rates of opposition.  Consumers who frequently purchased OTCs, used drugs while in poor physical condition or while ill, and had experience purchasing health foods and OTCs online had higher rates of favoring it.  The top reason for favoring online sales was “convenience,” while the main reasons for opposing it were “safety,” “difficulty in selection,” and “liability.”
Conclusion: Pharmacists will need to respond to consumer concerns when selling OTCs by developing the “ability to observe consumers’ condition and understand their concerns,” thereby improving their communication ability in face-to-face sales.

A 76-year-old woman with a sudden onset of chest and back pain was admitted to our hospital. Computed tomography (CT) showed a giant thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. Therefore, the patient underwent emergency operation. Under a left anterolateral thoracotomy and pararectal laparotomy with left heart bypass, we performed graft replacement of the thoracoabdominal aorta and reconstruction of the celiac artery, superior mesenteric artery and renal arteries. The left lung was tightly adhered to the aneurysm because of the contained rupture. Copious pulmonary bleeding and air leakage occurred due to thrombectomy of the aneurysm. During the operation, critical air leakage was repaired using the remaining aneurysmal wall. The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was discharged 16 days after surgery. Copious air leakage due to lung injury was a potentially life-threating condition in the postoperative course of this case of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. Surgical treatment of critical air leakage due to lung injury is very important in thoracic surgery.