An Official Journal of the Japan Primary Care Association  2013;36(4):302-307

doi:10.14442/generalist.36.302

Introduction of collaborative drug therapy management (CDTM) into a community healthcare system in Japan

Takehiro Ogawa ; Akira Matsushita ; Toshihiro Nakashima ; Hiroko Moriyasu ; Kenichi Shimada ; Takashi Egawa ; Yutaka Gomita ; Masashi Takahashi ; Yoichiro Takami

Keywords

collaborative drug therapy management; resolved question; ex post facto approval; team approach to health care; community health care

Country

Japan

Language

Japanese

Abstract

Introduction : As one of the strategies for the introduction of collaborative drug therapy management (CDTM) into a community healthcare system in Japan, we constructed a ‘positive list’ which was agreed by a family physician in advance, and subsequently validated the effects on healthcare insurance fees, the number of prescription question and the changes of utilization rate for generic drugs.
Methods : The items that replaced prescription questions with regard to ex post facto approval were defined as ‘Resolved Questions’ in our constructed positive list. By adopting the ‘Resolved Questions’, we then examined the effect on healthcare insurance fees, prescription questions and the changes of utilization rates for generic drugs.
Results : Among all prescription questions accepted from January through May 2012 inclusive, 178 (22.7%) were ‘Resolved Questions’, without there being change in the therapeutic strategies by the prescribing physicians. During this period, 17,455 healthcare insurance fees were reduced. In addition, the utilization rate for generic drugs were increased up to 46.6%.
Conclusion : The reduction of healthcare insurance fees, prescription questions and the increased utilization rates of generic drugs were facilitated by prudent pharmacist judgements based on ‘Resolved Questions’.