On the Actual Condition of Medicine Education at Junior High School and the Role Required for School Pharmacists

Abstract

In order to promote the proper use of medicines, it is important to conduct effective pharmaceutical education and establish a basic knowledge of medicines. We investigated to clarify the current situation and issues of pharmaceutical education. In June 2017, we administered surveys to 1,152 junior high school third graders and 23 health and physical education teachers who taught pharmacy in junior high schools. A total of 1,079 junior high school third graders and 23 health and physical education teachers answered the survey. We found that 6.5% of the students were taking health foods and supplements, and 17.9% always carried medicines. Further, 30.7% of the students regularly checked the effects and side effects of the medicines they took. Moreover, while only 9.0% of the students knew the word “self-medication,” 66.6% had a prescription notebook. Meanwhile, 39.1% of health and physical education teachers were conducting pharmaceutical education classes. Some of them developed their own textbook. All teachers answered that they would like to promote pharmaceutical education. As it was found that junior high school third graders take medicines daily, it is important to develop an educational system that enables them to further improve pharmaceutical education in junior high schools and to acquire correct knowledge. Therefore, it is important that school pharmacists actively participate in pharmaceutical education and promote close cooperation with physical education teachers.