2012 Volume 27 Issue 1 Pages 57-62
In February 2009, we conducted a survey on the level of awareness of infection control procedures among the members of the Higashi yodogawa-District Pharmacists Association (HPA). These results suggested that awareness towards infection control procedures were not adequate. Later that year, the H1N1 flu pandemic occurred, and we carried out a post-survey aimed to find out whether infection control procedures had changed at each pharmacy. In May 2010, a questionnaire was sent to all 55 pharmacies of the HPA and 44 responded (response rate; 80%). As a result, the rate of mask usage in contact with infectious patients was higher compared with the results of the 2009 survey. A number of pharmacies had changed policies such as giving medicine to infectious patients before other patients. The findings indicated that the awareness of infection control procedure was improved at pharmacies. We believe that hospitals or pharmacies and related organizations must work together through periodically scheduled workshops to consider practical infection control procedures to prevent the spread of regional infection.
