Objective: Adequate periconceptional intake of folic acid decreases the risk of neural tube defects of infant. The present study aimed to investigate the awareness of nursing students about the importance of folic acid intake for the prevention of neural tube defects.Design: Questionnaire survey.Methods: A self-administered questionnaire regarding the importance of folic acid intake for the prevention of neural tube defects was distributed to 423 nursing students of Tohoku University and Tohoku Fukushi University.Results: Among the 408 respondents (response rate; 96.5%), 129 (31.6%) nursing students were aware that folic acid intake decreases the risk of neural tube defects. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, grade 3-4 (odds ratio = 11.779, 95% confident interval = 5.739-24.177) were associated with the awareness of the importance of folic acid intake among nursing students. Of 129 nursing students who recognized the importance of folic acid intake, 52 (40.3%) and 11 (8.5%) recognized that women should begin folic acid intake before conception and should take about 400μg of folic acid per day during pregnancy respectively.Conclusion: About 30% of nursing students recognized that folic acid intake decreases the risk of neural tube defects and many did not know the details of the effective intake for the prevention of neural tube defects. Therefore, more aggressive promotion of the awareness of the importance of folic acid intake among nursing students is warranted.

Objective: This study aimed to enhance Drug Information Practice Experiences (DIPE) in Japan by comparing DIPEs at Tohoku University Hospital (TUH) with Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in the United States, and propose an advanced model of drug information (DI) education in Japan.
Methods: We performed the following: (i) comparison of both DIPEs based on Model Core Curriculum (MCC) content; (ii) identification of practices which were not part of NSU or TUH DIPE; (iii) comparison of students’ DIPE performance based on MCC: (A) students’ performance without the preceptors and their post-performance approval, (A’) students’ performance without the preceptors and their pre-performance approval, and (B) students’ performance under direct preceptor supervision; (iv) highlighting differences between TUH and NSU DIPEs; and (v) proposing an advanced model of DI education in Japan.
Results: (i) The NSU DIPE is similar to the MCC.  An example difference between NSU and TUH learning strategies was that NSU students responded to the inquiries made by the phone whereas TUH students receive assignments and explanation from preceptors.  (ii) DIPE at NSU utilized oral presentations and student interaction in many forms (e.g. journal club, reflection regarding learned topics).  On the other hand, DIPE at TUH helped students learn about Medical Representative jobs and educated them in tablet/capsule identification practices.  (iii) In contrast, the TUH curriculum limits students’ performance to “experience via dissemination with health professional needs and patients’ needs”.  (iv) These clarified points are considered to be differences between DIPE at TUH and NSU.  (v) Following analysis of these points, an advanced model of DI education based on responses to DI phone inquiries and oral presentations including a journal club was proposed.
Conclusions: This study will contribute to improving DI education in Japan.

Objective: Adequate periconceptional folic acid intake decreases the risk of neural tube defects in infants.  The present study aimed to investigate the awareness of pharmacy students regarding the importance of folic acid intake for the prevention of neural tube defects.
Design: Questionnaire survey.
Methods: A self-administered questionnaire regarding the importance of folic acid intake for the prevention of neural tube defects was distributed to 750 pharmacy students at Tohoku and Ohu Universities.
Results: Among the 685 respondents (response rate; 91.3%), 74 (10.8%) were aware that folic acid intake decreases the risk of neural tube defects.  In multivariate logistic regression analysis, awareness of the importance of folic acid intake was evident among 5th- and 6th-year pharmacy students (odds ratio=3.352, 95% confidence interval=1.797-6.253) and among those who used dietary supplements (2.275, 1.306-3.966).  Among the 74 pharmacy students who recognized the importance of folic acid intake, 17 (23.0%) and 3 (4.1%) were aware that women should begin taking a folic acid supplement before conception and should take about 400 μg per day during pregnancy, respectively.
Conclusion: Only about 10% of the pharmacy students in this study recognized that folic acid intake decreases the risk of neural tube defects, and many were unaware of the recommended intake amount.  Therefore, awareness of the importance of folic acid intake must be more aggressively promoted among pharmacy students.

Objective: Adequate periconceptional intake of folic acid decreases the risk of neural tube defects.  The present study aimed to investigate pharmacists’ awareness of the importance of folic acid intake for the prevention of neural tube defects and to identify factors associated with pharmacists’ awareness.
Design: Questionnaire survey.
Methods: A self-administered questionnaire regarding the importance of folic acid intake for the prevention of neural tube defects was distributed to pharmacists who attended educational seminars offered by the Sendai City Pharmaceutical Association in December 2010.
Results: Among the 166 respondents, 104 (62.7%) pharmacists were aware that folic acid intake decreases neural tube defects.  After stratification for age and sex including history of delivery, female gender and history of delivery were significantly associated with the awareness of the importance of folic acid intake only among pharmacists younger than 40 years old. Of 104 pharmacists who recognized the importance of folic acid intake for the prevention of neural tube defects, 51.0% and 27.9% recognized that women should begin intake of folic acid before conception and should take about 400 μg of folic acid per day during pregnancy, respectively.
Conclusion: Although about 60% of pharmacists recognized that folic acid intake decreases the risk of neural tube defects, many did not know the intake level required to effectively prevent neural tube defects.  Therefore, more aggressive promotion of the awareness of the importance of folic acid intake among pharmacists is warranted.