Pharmaceutical prices have been continuously cut off since policy makers pointed out that pharmaceuticals were overused to maximize the margin by getting price gap (“Yakkasa”) between official price tariff and market price of pharmaceuticals in healthcare facilities. However, the studies have not been done enough to prove the issue and the effect of the price regulation policy. In this paper, price gap elasticity was estimated to analyze how pharmaceutical demand has been influenced by price gap and whether the results were changed depending on the characteristics of healthcare facilities. The average daily dosage of each drug was focused so that the state of drug usage can be better reflected on the analysis. The transaction data between pharmaceutical wholesalers and healthcare facilities from 1994 to 1998 was used. The pharmaceuticals used for hypertension, hyperlipemia, and diabetes were chosen as sample data. Pharmaceutical demand was elastic to price gap in each disease category. But, each elastic level tended to decrease as more recently. This overall tendency had no difference based on the characteristics of healthcare institutions.

This study investigated the relationship between changing oral health status of Japanese elder individuals and reforming of the elder health care system by examined health care statistics.

The Japanese medical insurance system pays consultation fees to physicians for services, and co-payment by patients are basically charged by fixed ratio. The health care system for elderly started from 1970s, the Welfare Law for the Elderly was revised to introducing the medical care expenditure provision system for elderly, medical services made free of charge for over 70-years people. In 1983, the Health and Medical Service Law for the Elderly introduced fixed rate system to over 70-years. In addition, the number of dentists per 100,000 individuals increased 1.8 times and the number of dental clinics increased 1.7 times from 1975 to 1999 in Japan. After introducing the Health and Medical Service Law for the Aged, it observes that accessibility of dental service for elderly improved in co-payment charge and dental service supply.

The Report on the Survey of Dental Diseases showed mean number of the present teeth at 65-69 years increased 1.8 times in 24 years from 1975 to 1999. Every over 70-years group showed similar inclination at number of the present teeth. Changing number of missing teeth compared 1975 to 1999. The inference age examined number of missing teeth at 1999 adjusted extension of the average life expectancy from 1975 to 1999. The decreasing of missing teeth rate was higher than the extension rate of life expectancy. Next, number of missing teeth was compared by quasi-cohort which made from the age at the Survey of Dental Diseases. The number of missing teeth of the group born between 1914 and 1919, the first generation applied the Health and Medical Service Law for the Aged, keeps more present teeth than earlier born groups. Later born groups shows similar trends obviously.

For Japanese elderly, increasing dental service supply and reduction of co-payment charge improved accessibility to dental service. Compared with improvement of health status brought on extension of life expectancy, it makes a contribution to keep the oral health status of the elderly.

E-healthcare involves the use of asynchronous communications and information technology to improve the effectiveness of healthcare delivery, healthcare administration, and access to healthcare information by consumers. This article used results of a literature search, news reports, and company information to compile a “picture” of the status of e-healthcare today in the US, and then analyze its potential for future adoption in Japan. Historically, administrative healthcare functions were the first to be revolutionized by information technology. Subsequently, Internet use caused an explosion of new e-health websites. Today, e-health tools are growing in use by all three major stakeholders in healthcare: payers, providers, and patients. Three areas of intense activity in e-health in the US are e-visits, e-prescribing or computer processed order entry (CPOE), and e-disease management. Each has been shown to reduce costs and errors, and improve the effectiveness of care delivered. Japan's healthcare system shares many similarities with the US, and should accrue similar benefit from the use of e-health tools. Current solutions to satisfy concerns regarding security and quality of information in the US, such as third party accreditation and government regulation, will likely alleviate similar concerns in Japan.

Under the long-term care insurance (LTCI) system, care services offered at hospital beds for long-term care are categorized as “facility services” and each medical institution chooses the type of insurance coverage at units level between “medical insurance” and LTCI. Environment surrounding beds for long-term care is changing drastically and the functions and services of each institution are expected to become more specialized.

In this survey, the present position of the two different types of beds for long-term care in the hospitals surveyed and the future direction of management of the units are confirmed.

The differences of the overall physical conditions, care needs, length of stay, and the physical conditions on admission and discharge are observed between patients at the two types of units.

However, the difference of features of institutions and the specialization of their medical functions and services cannot be clearly seen in this survey.

The results of this survey can be suggestive for choice of appropriate care location and be useful for study on the future direction of long-term care in Japan, including the appropriate division and coordination among beds for long-term care, institutional services and domiciliary services.