Pharmacists’ intervention in nephrology and pharmacotherapy in Shizuoka, Japan: A questionnaire survey

Abstract

The Shizuoka Kidney and Pharmaceuticals Study Group performed a questionnaire survey about the intervention of pharmacists in nephrology and pharmacotherapy during its first annual meeting.The questionnaire consisted of 20 multiple-choice questions about the frequency of estimating renal function, frequency of inquiries about prescriptions, and necessity of recording laboratory data in the prescription or drug profile book.Sixty-two pharmacists (42 hospital pharmacists and 20 community pharmacists) answered the questionnaire. Fifty-three pharmacists (85%) answered that they confirmed laboratory data of renal function when they check prescriptions. Forty pharmacists (65%) used estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to evaluate renal function to check the dosage of medication, and 17 out of those 40 pharmacists (43%) used eGFR uncorrected for body surface area.While 37 out of 42 hospital pharmacists (88%) inquired about prescriptions based on evaluation of renal function, only 11 out of 20 (55%) community pharmacists did the same. The most frequent inquiries were about “over-dosage” (94%), whereas those concerning “drug-drug interactions” were the least frequent (15%). The pharmacists used different methods to obtain patient’s laboratory data. Most hospital pharmacists (n = 38, 90%) relied on medical records, while community pharmacists (n = 18, 90%) tended to obtain them directly from patients.While 17 community pharmacists (85%) hoped for recording of laboratory data in the prescription, 35 hospital pharmacists (83%) did not record them in prescriptions. Similarly, while 13 community pharmacists (65%) hoped for recording of laboratory data in the drug profile book, almost all hospital pharmacists (n = 38, 90%) did not record them in the drug profile book.To improve chronic kidney disease management, it is necessary to conduct workshops on nephrology and pharmacotherapy. Forming a working relationship between hospitals and community pharmacies and sharing patient information will help community pharmacists obtain hospital laboratory data.