The package insert (PI) is a primary source of information for healthcare providers and their format in Japan was dramatically altered in 1997 to make them simpler and easier to understand.In order to investigate the attitude of hospital pharmacists toward current Japanese PIs and how they are used,we sent a questionnaire to 320 hospitals in cooperation with the Japanese Society of Hospital Pharmacists.It had a general section and a more detailed section that focused on drug interactions and pharmacokinetics.
We received responses from 266 hospitals (83.1%).The majority of respondents approved of the order of the current PI (94.2%) and all of them felt the need for background information when the details of a PI were revised.In the section of the questionnaire on drug interactions and pharmacokinetics,nearly all of the respondents approved the tabulation of drug interactions (99.2%).On the other hand,many responders considered detailed information such as that concerning drug names,quantitative pharmacokinetic data and specific metabolic enzymes to be insufficient,and many wanted to have note made when a pharmacokinetic effect was observed in healthy volunteers (67.7%).A large number of pharmacists also wished to have more information on drug interactions.
In conclusion,we feel that a minimal amount of quantitative data on drug interactions and other critical information needs to be included in PIs without spoiling the current easy-to-understand format.
