Objective: This study aimed to elucidate how the physical properties of containers and formulations of glaucoma eyedrops contribute to differences in squeezing force and drop volume among products within the same pharmacological class. This study seeks to generate valuable insights for product selection, patient guidance, and formulation improvement.Design: Physical measurements of multiple glaucoma eyedrop products were made under various conditions, followed by comparative analyses of the data and the characteristics of each product's container and solution. The study determined how the product selection and instillation technique affected the squeezing force and drop volume.Methods: Eyedrop products commonly used as first-line treatments were evaluated, including all brand-name drugs and high-usage generic drugs. Based on the clinical guidelines and NDB open data, 17 products were selected, consisting of prostanoid receptor-related drugs and beta blockers. Each product was tested at various angles to measure squeezing force and drop volume. These measurements were combined with basic container characteristics, including the material, design, and size, to compare and identify trends. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to examine the factors affecting squeezing force.Results: The squeezing force varied significantly among the products (0. 68-1. 57 times the average), whereas the drop volume exhibited relatively minor differences (0.79-1.12 times the average). Some products showed marked variability in squeezing force and drop volume between drops, depending on residual volume and container angle. Additionally, containers with smaller finger-contact areas, made of materials other than polyethylene, non-cylindrical designs, and formulations with higher viscosity were estimated to require greater squeezing force.Conclusion: Squeezing force and drop volume vary significantly by product and instillation technique, which highlights the importance of understanding these differences when prescribing and guiding patients. Further systematic studies on other eyedrop products should be carried out to enhance appropriate drug use and inform the development of user-friendly formulations.

  Background: In recent years, Finnish sauna bathing has been reported to have beneficial health effects, such as reducing the risk of hypertension and dementia. Although tub bathing in Japan, which is used daily by the Japanese, differs from sauna bathing, there are a few reports on its potential effects in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and depressive symptoms, but no reports on dementia. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between bathing and incident dementia in Japanese community-dwelling older people using large longitudinal data.  Methods and Results: We used data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), which included community-dwelling older people aged ≥65 years who were not certified for long-term care. The baseline survey was conducted in 2010, and the onset of dementia was assessed using records from Japan’s long-term care insurance system. After excluding respondents with missing data on bathing frequency in summer and winter separately, a total of 7,509 individuals were analysed for summer and 7,590 for winter. Bathing frequency was divided into two groups: low frequency (0-6 times/week) and high frequency (≥7 times/week). To examine the association between bathing frequency and incident dementia, we performed survival analysis using the competing risk model and calculated sub hazard ratios (SHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). During 9 years of follow-up, 1,430 (17.2%) cases of dementia were identified in 8,317 individuals. In the crude model, the high-frequency bathing group showed a significantly lower risk of incident dementia, and this association remained significant after full adjustment, with SHRs of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.62-0.88) in summer and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.70-0.97) in winter.  Conclusions: High-frequency bathing was associated with a lower risk of incident dementia among Japanese community-dwelling older adults. This finding suggests that tub bathing, one of the lifestyle habits of older people in Japan, may contribute to preventing dementia.

Anxiety and difficulty in administering medication to nursery school children has been reported among nursery school teachers. This study aimed to elucidate these issues and explore the possibility of pharmacist support and collaboration. We conducted a postal survey in September 2019 among nursery schools in Tokyo that are categorized as government-authorized schools, certified childcare centers, and prefectural governor-certified schools. A total of 1,537 schools responded to the self-report questionnaires (response rate: 41.2%), and 1,533 responses were analyzed. Of these, 1,488 schools were asked if they would accept requests to administer medication to their school children, and 60.1% of the nursery schools responded that their staff (including teachers and nurses) found it difficult to administer medication. The issues identified included psychological burdens (such as nervousness and pressure about giving the correct medication), staff shortage, insufficient time with the children, and human factors (such as personal perceptions of medication). Additionally, excessive requests to administer medication, caregiver behavior such as low awareness of children’s health and appropriate medication, and poor medication adherence at home were identified as issues. It was suggested that pharmacists could help alleviate these problems through their daily work at the pharmacy. Approximately 49-62% of schools responded that they would request the collaboration of community pharmacists to conduct training sessions for nursery school staff, provide health support for caregivers, and provide general health and medication consultations. The collaboration between nursery schools and community pharmacists may gain importance in the future.

A 6-year pharmaceutical education system was initiated over a decade ago in Japan because highly skilled pharmacists are needed by communities and hospitals. The current national examination for pharmacists consists of three sections, and its primary purpose is to assess the ability of students to apply the pharmaceutical knowledge they attained at university or college to real-world practice in medical care. We aimed to examine the attitudes of clinical pharmacists working in community pharmacies and hospitals regarding the practical section of the national examination for pharmacists. An online survey was conducted between November 2018 and January 2019. The results of this survey showed that 15 out of the 50 total pharmacists surveyed attempted to answer or skimmed through some questions from the practical section of the 103rd national examination for pharmacists. On the contrary, a little less than half of the pharmacists disregarded the examination content. The participants answered 10 questions extracted from the 103rd national examination that were related to real-world practice. They considered most information to be necessary knowledge in clinical situations, e.g., that concerning drug and food interactions. Furthermore, self-medication and treatment at home that are and will be increasingly required for pharmacists in the future were considered relevant and important.

In Japan, the model core curriculum for pharmacy education was revised in 2013 and a topic related to pharmacoeconomics was added. A questionnaire survey was conducted to clarify the current situation of teaching this topic in schools of pharmacy. In an annual meeting of social pharmacy education in October 2017, a purpose this survey was explained and asked someone who had taught this topic in each school to answer questions. A total of 61 schools responded by mails or e-mails among 74 schools across Japan (82.4% response rate). About 68% of schools, the topic was taught as a part of required subjects. Main keywords related to analytical methods such as cost-effectiveness, ICER, and QALY were covered at 90% and over of all schools. However, utilization for healthcare decision making process was rarely discussed with case analysis (21.6%). Only limited schools answered that they included keywords of HTA and guideline. More than 90% of schools showed that preparation of syllabus and slides for the lecture was helpful. The survey indicated that contents taught in each school differed across schools and an appropriate educational tool would be required to standardize way of teaching under the core curriculum requirements.