2021 Volume 5 Article ID: 2021-007
Improving the nutritional status of inpatients is an important factor that leads to improved quality of life and reduced mortality after discharge. In an aged society, there is a need to develop methods for evaluating the nutritional status and addressing it. The Model Core Curriculum for Pharmacy Education (version 2013) includes attainment objects related to “nutrition” in chapter D “Health and Environmental Sciences” as well as basic attainment objects of prepractical training education in chapters E “Therapeutics” and F “Pharmacy Practice Experiences”. However, the actual situation is hardly applied to learn the relationship systematically between nutrition and pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics, which are considered as pharmaceutical advantages. Here we introduce the multidisciplinary activities of a nutrition support team in our hospital, new diagnostic criteria for malnutrition, GLIM criteria, the nutritional status effects on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. We further propose the need for a new concept of “Nutritional Pharmacy” from the viewpoint of hospital pharmacists.
