Heart failure cases continue to drastically increase, and developing a better understanding of this pathophysiology with poor prognosis in patients and preliminary groups is an urgent issue. Numerous factors need to be incorporated by pharmacists for heart failure cases, including the establishment of favorable medication adherence, proposals for introducing standard pharmacotherapy [e.g., ACE (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme) inhibitors, ARB (Angiotensin Receptor Blocker), beta-blockers and MRA (Mineral corticoid Receptor Antagonist)], and prescription support for renal impairment cases. Furthermore, re-hospitalization rates among heart failure cases are high, which are caused by neglecting daily routines including poor medication adherence as well as infection in a majority of cases, so it is also extremely important to provide patient education on lifestyle aspects in coordination with other professions. Suitable proposals of prescription for heart failure cases require the understanding of whether this was heart failure due to reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This is because the evidence relating to improved prognosis with pharmacotherapy of heart failure varies between the two conditions. In addition, prescriptions during exacerbated heart failure should propose the withdrawal of drugs which may possibly be related to worsening symptoms (e.g., NSAIDs). The introduction of medication for the treatment of heart failure should also pay attention to the possibility of worsening renal function due to ACE inhibitors, ARB and MRA, and bradycardia due to beta-blockers. Furthermore, appropriate countermeasures need to be proposed when diuretic resistance is present.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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Diabetes affects an extremely large number of patients in Japan; moreover, the number of people afflicted with diabetes continues to increase rapidly worldwide. Although diet and exercise are fundamental components of diabetes treatment, medical care is often the primary focus. Thus, drug therapy plays an important role. To regulate blood sugar levels, pharmacists must provide adequate medication support tailored to each patient’s lifestyle and medical needs. Within this context, the Western Chiba Prefecture Young Pharmacists' Diabetes Research Group was established to improve pharmacists’ knowledge of drug treatments for diabetes, establish and strengthen the coordination between hospital and community pharmacists, and increase the number of certified diabetes lifestyle instructors. This study evaluated the success and failures related to the implementation of diabetes education–associated initiatives by this research group. Since the group's establishment, there has been an upward trend in the number of workshop participants. This trend may have resulted from the development of workshops that suit the needs of community pharmacists. The number of participating CDE-Chiba pharmacists has also increased. We believe that these workshops may have considerably raised participants' consciousness. Nevertheless, many have remained tentative about collaborations between hospital and community pharmacists, which suggests that such partnerships have yet to be fully recognized. In order to foster further collaboration, we plan to propose that sponsors of the research group evaluate patient referral forms.

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