We explored the association between understanding a proper use of over-the-counter cold medicines and a choice of information source to purchase such medicines. We conducted an internet survey in March 2011 regarding false perceptions about cold medicines as well as understanding of package inserts. Respondents (20〜69 years old)to the main survey were individuals who purchased cold medicines based on TV commercials (CM group) and those who purchased these medications in consultation with pharmacists (consultation group). We surveyed 121 and 159 respondents in the CM and consultation groups, respectively. We calculated the principal component scores for false perceptions of cold medicines and the respondents’ understanding of the package inserts. The median scores were 0.20 (CM group) and -0.08 (consultation group) false perceptions, and -0.18 (CM group) and 0.15 (consultation group) for understanding. The Mann-Whitney U-test revealed that the CM group had more misconceptions regarding cold medicines compared with the consultation group (P<0.001). Furthermore, the consultation group acquired greater understanding of the package inserts than the reference CM group (P＝0.005). These results suggest an association between understanding the proper use of over-the-counter cold medicines and choice sources of information on purchasing these medicines. They further suggest that a lack of knowledge or understanding of cold medicines does not lead to consultations with a pharmacist about the purchase.

This study examines the effect on junior high school students’ understanding and usage frequency of medicines gained from education about medicines during elementary school. This education which we provided is tailored to the developmental stage of the child. We conducted a questionnaire directed at the first year students of a junior high school in Tokyo. We compared the responses to questions regarding the understanding and correct usage frequency of medicines between groups of students who had graduated from the elementary school (Group A : students who graduated from the elementary school where we provided the education about medicines, Group B : all students except those in Group A). In order to compare these, we calculated the scores about questions regarding the understanding and correct usage frequency of medicines using principal component analysis (PCA). The PCA score for understanding of medicine by group A was higher than that of group B ; a significant difference was found (P<0.001). Therefore, this suggests that receiving education about medicines may be a factor that enhances students’ understanding of medicines. The PCA score for correct usage frequency of medicine by group A was higher than that of group B; a significant difference was found (P＝0.043). Therefore, this suggests that receiving education about medicines may be a factor that increases students’ correct usage frequency of medicines.

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.

To consider what pharmacists can do to prevent patients from having leftover prescription drugs, we conducted a qualitative study about the various causes behind the unused drugs. We interviewed one male and four female home-care patients who had leftover prescription drugs that pharmacists detected via their home visiting service. The Grounded Theory Approach was used for analysis, and two types were identified as “exogenous factors that cause confusion for the patient” and “patient’s personal thoughts and feelings.” “Exogenous factors that cause confusion” involved eight factors, including unsuitable dosing schedule for lifestyle, complex timing for taking medicine, and inadequate support for enhancing patients’ compliance. These factors were divided into ［problems with prescription］ and ［difficult changes to manage］. In “patient’s personal thoughts and feelings,” 16 concepts were identified and their broader concepts comprised six categories: ［distrust of drugs］, ［taking a positive view about one’s own non-compliance］, ［psychological distance from medical staff］, and others. It was assumed that there would be a perception gap of compliance between patients and medical staff. Moreover, patients affirmed their poor compliance and they did not see the occurrence of leftover drugs as a problem. Additionally, psychological distance from medical staff prevents patients from consultation. Therefore, pharmacists should check patients’ compliance for each drug as well as any medical problems. Knowing patients’ inherent mind revealed by this study, the pharmacist can assist medication alongside patients and contribute to the early prevention of unused drugs.

In junior high school, educators with many different types of specialty jobs are involved in “education on the proper use of pharmaceutical products” and “drug-abuse resistance education”. Examples of these different jobs are physical education teachers, school nurses, school pharmacists. The aim of this study was to elucidate novel ideas and new directions in the future of medicine instructional education by clarifying the aims and thoughts of educators with different jobs on the education of pharmaceutical medicines and drug use. Based on the technique of Personal Attitude Construct (PAC) analysis, junior high school staff members involved in “education on the proper use of pharmaceutical products” and “drug-abuse resistance education” were interviewed regarding their aims and thoughts. Their responses were analyzed qualitatively. Five school pharmacists, five school nurses, and four physical education teachers were interviewed. The responses revealed that school pharmacists engaged in student education from the specialized perspective of pharmacology, school nurses engaged in student education from the perspective of imminent situations, and physical education teachers engaged in student education more from the perspective of student environment. This study suggested that “education on the proper use of pharmaceutical products” and “drug-abuse resistance education” should be a collaborative effort, so there were the different perspectives and aims of educators with different specialty jobs in the instruction of junior high school students on these subjects.

We have reported that many chrysanthemum- and lettuce-growers have dermatitis caused by juice of the leaves of these plants and that this dermatitis is caused by an allergic mechanism. In arecent questionnaire on the cause of this dermatitis, half the farmers answerd that it was due to agricultural chemicals. Therefore, we tested the farmers by skin patch tests with several widely used chemicals. In the tests, daconil gave the strongest reaction, results being positive in 60% of the farmers. Daconil was very irritative and phototoxic, the percentage of positive reactions in the patch test with 800 times diluted daconil solution of the concentration commonly used being about 30% after 48 hours and about 60% at 48 hours after peeling off the patch.
The parcentage of positive reactions in the skin patch test with several fractions of chrysanthemums on chrysanthemum-growers were significantly higher than non-farm-workers. Similary, tests with allergen extracted from lettuce showed a significantly higher percentage incidence in lettuce -growers than in other subjects. The patch test with 4000 times diluted daconil solution showed ahigher incidence in farmers than in other subjects. Therefore, 4000 times diluted daconil solution seems to cause allergic contact dermatitis in farmers, and as farmers reported, dermatitis seems to be caused by allergy to farm products, and the irritability, phototoxicity and allergenicity of TPN (Daconil).

Objective: While pharmacies focus on interpersonal work, patients need to process a lot of information. Therefore, it is important for the pharmacy to provide information according to the situation. This study was conducted for the purpose of providing a video and paper media, and clarifying that it is useful to provide information in various mediums about the method of administering the powdered medicine, which requires an understanding of the operation.Method: Conducted a survey for those who brought prescriptions for infants from March 2016 to about a year and a half. We compared and verified the understanding of the medication method for infants between the paper medium group and the moving image medium group.Results: Differences in the background between the two media use groups were clarified, and path analysis confirmed differences in the factors that affect the reliable administration of each medium to infants. It was revealed that the evaluation of moving image media was higher than the comparison between the groups in terms of usability. Although there was no difference in the ability to use the medium at his own pace, the moving images were significantly higher in understanding the motion.Discussion: There is a limit to the understanding of motions with a single explanation at the pharmacy counter. It was confirmed in this study that information provision using a medium that can be used depending on the situation of the patient is useful as a complementary role in medication instruction. Providing information while appropriately combining information provision in various media is thought to reduce the burden on patients and contribute to improved adherence.