In April 2014, a Letter of Rapid Safety Communication was issued, because 21 fatalities following administration of paliperidone palmitate (PP) were reported over a 5-month period since its launch in November, 2013. At the Department of Pharmacy of Hakodate Watanabe Hospital (our hospital), we established criteria for the use of long-acting antipsychotic injections (LAIs) when we began to prescribe LAIs at our hospital and shared information on the use of LAIs with pharmacists at community pharmacies by placing seals in medication notebooks. In March 2014, we conducted a questionnaire survey of pharmacists at 223 community pharmacies in Southern Hokkaido to compared the investigation items by the percentage of prescriptions filled in by the department of psychiatry among all the prescriptions dispensed by the pharmacies. The pharmacists who answered that injectable drug use information and seals for medication notebooks were necessary accounted for 75.8% and 74.2% of the responders, respectively. On the other hand, the percentages comprising the acquisition rates of information on injectable drug use and information on the injectable drugs used were low with 12.1% and 7.6% respectively. Also, a significant difference was seen in the recognition of LAI use in the comparison by the percentage of prescriptions filled in by the department of psychiatry among all of the prescriptions dispensed by the pharmacies (p＝0.001). Our results show that collaboration between hospital pharmacists and community pharmacists is necessary to ensure the safe use of LAI.

Seminars on physical assessment (PA) are being held at a wide variety of universities and medical institutions. However, the current situation shows that the number of pharmacists practicing PA at medical sites is still very small. We therefore conducted a questionnaire survey, targeting all 70 individuals who took part in a PA seminar carried out in 2013 at Daiichi University of Pharmacy, to investigate the reasons for pharmacists being unable to practice PA at present, and then we studied the types of seminars that would be needed for them to practice PA in the future. The results showed that 91% of pharmacists, currently working in a pharmacy, who took part in the seminar and 100% of hospital pharmacists hoped to practice PA, if possible, although they had no immediate plans for implementing PA. Of those who participated in the current seminar, only 10% felt that they could practice PA immediately after taking the seminar just once, although the degrees of their understanding of the seminar content and mastering of the techniques were high. Our findings suggested additional training and studies to be necessary in order for the participating pharmacists to practice PA.

Introduction: A new role for community pharmacists is to perform educational activities related to tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse. It is important to consider schoolchildren and provide classes targeted to this age group. However, it is difficult for community pharmacists to provide these classes for students because they have few chances to gauge what students understand. Therefore, we explored a better way for community pharmacists to deliver their classes. Methods: We provided a “drug safety” class, which encouraged 9-12-year-old students at primary school to resist tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse. To prepare for the class, we held several discussions with the primary school teachers. We incorporated their advice and comments into our slides and skit for the class. Their points and our process of preparation for the class are shown. Results: Three important points were identified in our discussions with the teachers. I. We should consider delivering an interactive class for the children, so they could participate in a skit and quizzes, instead of a one-sided talk from the teacher. II. We should use pictures and examples that are visually simple for children. III. We should take parents who smoke and drink into consideration. Discussion: There is an increase in opportunities for community pharmacists to contribute to classes about tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse at schools because of the importance of encouraging children to resist tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse. It is important for pharmacists to consult with teachers to recognize the needs of students in their classes. The community pharmacists could then ensure their classes met the school and schoolteachers’ needs by using their experience in educational activities.

The purpose of this study was to assess the negative effects of some factors on medicine-taking behavior. For the patients taking oral medication who visited a health insurance pharmacy, we enacted the actual situation of medication and conducted an attitude survey on the feeling of burden and resistance of taking the drugs. The survey also covered the factors that can influence medicine-taking behavior and the extent of the influence. For differences in each factor such as patient characteristics, lifestyle, and medication status, we used the 2 test to analyze the association with medicine-taking behavior. We found significant differences in age, dietary habits, occupation, periodic consultation with the pharmacy/doctor, and unpleasant experiences. In addition, in patients with multiple factors that cause noncompliance with medication, we observed a strong influence of age and occupation. From the factor analysis, we obtained data on time, quantity, and pharmaceutical factors (three factors called regular factors). These factors negatively influenced the use of medication by the patients. Next, in the covariance structure analysis, the influence of time and the quantity factor on medication-related stress was the observed to be the strongest, whereas the influence of the regular factors was not significant. Furthermore, there were differences in the influence of these factors depending on patient characteristics.

In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey among community pharmacists in Japan, to explore how they and the pharmacy’s management support a fellow pharmacist who has committed a medical error. Using stratified random sampling, we selected 900 pharmacies from national community pharmacies. The response rate for pharmacies was 31.7%, and we analyzed data from 572 pharmacists. It was observed that after a pharmacist committed a medical error, the subsequent treatment was relevant to the years of experience. Supervising pharmacists with little experience tended to answer that they “do not know how to get along with the colleague”. The backup to supervising pharmacists with little experience should be considerable to give care to pharmacist caused dispensing error. A few pharmacies have a support system for pharmacists concerned in an error; 38.9% of supervising pharmacists emphasized the significance of mental support. Therefore, it was suggested that concluded that head offices of pharmacies and the community pharmaceutical association should review their mental support system for pharmacists to work after committing an error.

Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, many pharmacy students conducted support activities which was no requirement of pharmacist’s license. Although some pharmacy students reported their activities, there are no studies comprehensively analyzing this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to survey the support activities of pharmacy students and to analyze the corresponding conditions. We conducted personal interviews with 22 pharmacy students involved in the support activities. The questionnaire included items about a student’s general attributes, activities, activity duration, and relevant locations. Further, we analyzed data on their attributes and personal information with respect to the support activities. Data on the activities were classified into 10 categories and evaluated based on pharmaceutical knowledge levels required for the support activities. According to the results of the interviews, the phases of the activities were classified into “sub-acute phase” and “chronic phase.”The relevant locations were medication collection points, shelters, and transit points for medical teams, temporary clinics, and temporary housing. Furthermore, according to the classification of activities by knowledge levels, activities depended on the students’ pharmaceutical knowledge; if they appropriately selected the activities (based on their pharmaceutical knowledge level), they could effectively participate in the support activities. The results of our survey suggest that pharmacy students can assist healthcare professionals, although the relevant activities are limited by the duration and pharmaceutical knowledge.

A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to clarify how community pharmacists recognize the legal validity of acts that involve touching their patients and to determine if the pharmacists had personal feelings of resistance toward particular acts. The questionnaire was sent to 400 community pharmacies that practiced home care and 147 valid responses were analyzed. The survey suggested that there were many pharmacists who had no objection toward measuring vital signs, such as temperature and blood pressure. Additionally, they recognized that it was necessary for doctors, other professionals, and patients to recognize their ability to measure vital signs. The survey also suggested that there were strong feelings of resistance toward invasive acts, such as insertion of an enema tube or a suppository. It was considered that these feelings were due to insufficient knowledge and experience, as well as uneasiness with hygiene issues. The necessity to participate in a practical study session was emphasized. When pharmacists recognized a problem with the legality of an act, their feelings of resistance, particularly toward examining bedsores and applying ointment on them, tended to become strong. Therefore, it was suggested that pharmacists may be able to perform the acts without feelings of resistance if the legality of the acts was clarified. Based on these findings, it is necessary to find a suitable rationale for performing each act, so that pharmacists will be able to perform the acts that involve touching their patients without feelings of resistance.