To clarify the views and needs on Rx-to-OTC switches in patients afflicted with lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and/or hyperlipidemia, our survey was conducted with 199 patients at a pharmacy in Tokyo, Japan. Of the 199 patients, 159 people were patients afflicted with lifestyle-related diseases. One hundred and ten patients afflicted with lifestyle-related diseases were seventy-year-old and older, and 149 of the patients have been to a hospital at least once in the past year. Thirty-six point five percent of the patients afflicted with lifestyle-related diseases replied that they wanted to use Rx-to-OTC switches when they had been ill and/or injured. The main reasons that they wanted to use Rx-to-OTC switches were “convenience” and “always the same drugs”. On the other hand, the main reason that they did not want to use Rx-to-OTC switches was “I want to have a detailed examination”. Twenty-three point nine percent of them replied that they wanted to switch their prescription drugs to Rx-to-OTC switches. We believe that the usage of Rx-to-OTC switches after the establishment of a support system to secure safety can be the answer to the issues of the rise in medical care expenditures and doctor shortage.
