Abstract
In April 2014, the Act on Clinical Laboratory Technicians, etc was revised to allow self-blood tests at community pharmacies designated as “Bioanalytical Labs.” However, fewer than 1,000 pharmacies have been designated as such and the number is decreasing. This study aimed to clarify the disincentives to the continuation of pharmacies' participation as Bioanalytical Labs and to contribute to promoting it. We sent a questionnaire to all community pharmacies designated as Bioanalytical Labs. Of the 924 questionnaires distributed, 395 (42.7%) were returned and 320 were analyzed after excluding incomplete responses. We compared burdens in pharmacy management before and after the start of Bioanalytical Lab operation. The number of “no burden” responses increased after the start of operation (P = 0.002). Some burdens such as initial costs for instruments decreased after the start of operation (all P < 0.001). More than 90% of the respondents thought that some points in the guidelines needed revision, and more than 80% reported that customers had asked them for medical advice, which the guidelines prohibit pharmacists from providing. A significant correlation was found between those who thought that the guidelines needed revision and those who had been asked by customers for medical advice (P = 0.003). Our findings indicate that many disincentives that have an impact before the start of operation did not become burdens thereafter. However, many customers asked for medical advice that pharmacists may not provide. It seems necessary to reconsider this aspect of the guidelines in order to suit customers' needs.
