Abstract
The role of pharmacists in self-medication is to provide informed and objective advice on medicines and their use, and to promote the concept of pharmaceutical care. In 2012, the teaching of medicines and their use was started in junior high schools, and pharmacists should be providing samples and the example package inserts, and/or giving lessons in cooperation with teachers. In this article, a number of examples of how to do this will be shared. In 2009, the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law was revised and the role of pharmacists being key figures in supplying medicines was significantly increased. Pharmacists should have a professional obligation to provide advice about self-medication and medicines for self-medication. We introduced some approaches for student pharmacists to enhance the self-medication leading ability. 1) Problem-based learning, and combination learning of basic problems and clinical topics for 1st-year students, 2) An e-learning system to provide objective information about medicines, and 3) A case study system to cultivate pharmacists and student pharmacists who can contribute to providing advice about the safe use of over the counter (OTC) medicines.
