We report four cases of post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) condition in which the patients suffered from a severe sense of fatigue that was successfully treated with warming-tonifying therapy using bukuryoshigyakuto, allowing them to return to normal social life. All four patients were unable to engage in social or school activities and had difficulty performing daily living tasks. Initially, they were treated with Kampo formulas corresponding to the yang pattern, which proved ineffective. However, their sense of fatigue was relieved after starting bukuryosigyakuto. Case 1 (36-year-old man) was a latent yin-deficiency pattern, in which an electro-acupuncture test revealed his interior cold. In Case 2 (53-year-old man), Case 3 (17-year-old woman) and Case 4 (11-year-old boy), the administration of bukuryoshigyakuto was based on the presence of severe sense of fatigue, characterized by the need to lie down almost all day and worsening symptoms after walking several dozen meters or taking a bath. There have been some case reports of tonifying therapies being effective in treating post COVID-19 conditions which are considered examples of qi deficiency or qi and blood deficiency following acute infectious disease. Kampo therapy with warming-tonifying formulas may be useful for post COVID-19 conditions that correspond to a late yin stage pattern in the six stage classification, particularly those presenting with severe sense of fatigue.

As part of the “Project to Promote Utilization of Pharmacies and Pharmacists as a Health Information Base” commissioned by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Saga Pharmaceutical Association carried out a self-measurement of blood glucose project in FY2014 and 2015. The present state of the Bioanalytical Labs in community pharmacies that participated in the self-measurement of blood glucose project nearly one and a half years ago was investigated. This project aimed to establish Bioanalytical Labs inside the community pharmacies to recommend hospital checkups to local residents based on the test results of self-measured blood glucose. In this study, a survey was given to those pharmacies to evaluate the present utilization status of the Bioanalytical Labs. About half of the pharmacies had canceled their Lab designation (46.4%). The most frequent reason for not continuing the designation was “Number of staff engaged in the measurement”, and that for continuing the designation, “To contribute to local residents self-medication”(53.6%). These pharmacies still promote self-measurements of blood glucose and encourage checkups to local residents who are above standard blood glucose levels and HbA1c and could be at risk of developing diabetes. Based on the above results, pharmacies that are continuing the Bioanalytical Labs have been shown to be used as bases for health support information in their local community. Therefore, while the shortage of pharmacists in rural areas is being pointed out, even from the viewpoint of promoting health support pharmacies, it is necessary to discuss seriously on how to secure the personnel required for continuing the Bioanalytical Labs.