Among acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients, it is recommended that a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level of < 70 mg/dL is achieved using statin therapy for secondary prevention. However, the timeframe to achieve this lipid level target is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between lipid level and revascularization at routine coronary angiography follow-up performed at six months or later from the first ACS onset (CAG-6M). We conducted a case-control study that included 82 ACS patients at Kyoto-Katsura Hospital between January 2018 and December 2019. Eligible patients were divided either into the group with revascularization at CAG-6M or those without, i.e., case (n = 29) and control (n = 53), respectively. CAG-6M was performed at about eight months after the first ACS onset. Although the mean LDL-C level at CAG-6M was 98.2 (SD 24.6) mg/dL in the case group and 91.5 (SD 29.4) mg/dL in the control (P = 0.3) group, the prevalence of patients who had achieved the target LDL-C levels at CAG-6M was 3.4％ in the case group and 30.2％ in the control (P < 0.05) group. After conducting a multivariate analysis in which revascularization at CAG-6M was considered the objective variable and age, sex, lifestyle diseases, and the target LDL-C level were considered as covariates, only achievement of the target LDL-C level was found to be an independent risk factor. In conclusion, our results suggest that the target LDL-C level should be achieved within about eight months after the first ACS onset to prevent revascularization.

Practical training in hospitals is a valuable opportunity to gain insight into the work of other healthcare professionals; however, few hospitals offer interprofessional education (IPE) during the regular training period. Therefore, we conducted a clinical IPE program with nursing students to assess the educational effect for pharmacy students during the regular training period in Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital. A pharmacy student and a nursing student were in charge of the same patient, and an IPE conference was held by a joint team of students. Before and after the clinical IPE, we assessed the IPE’s operational readiness using the Japanese version of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and further investigated the clinical IPE’s degree of achievement and impression as well as barriers to other healthcare professionals. RIPLS of pharmacy students showed a significant change in more than 80％ of the items, and all objectives of the training subjects increased. Judging by the pharmacy students’ feedback, they appeared to be highly satisfied with the clinical IPE. Thus, when students from nursing faculties participate in the training period of clinical practice in the hospital, we should conduct clinical IPE.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new infectious disease named by World Health Organization in February 2020. Little, however, was known about the utility of inpatient pharmaceutical services for pediatric patients with such new infectious disease. We investigated the background, clinical manifestation, and inpatient pharmaceutical services of pediatric patients in a COVID-19 ward and evaluated them for the characteristics of children. As a result, it transpired that most of the hospitalized pediatric patients were “socially hospitalized,” associated with their parental hospitalization. All pediatric patients who tested positive for PCR were asymptomatic or mild. The main symptoms that occurred after hospitalization, even if they were symptomatic, were upper respiratory tract symptoms or gastrointestinal symptoms, but changes in the distribution of symptoms were observed due to mutations of the virus. The main medicines required were antipyretics, expectorants, intestinal regulators, and antiallergic agents. By properly implementing standard precautions, pharmacists were able to carry out their inpatient pharmaceutical services in the same way as for children hospitalized for other diseases. In conclusion, it is suggested that interprofessional teams including pharmacists could work collaboratively, and that safe and quality care can be provided with intervention by pharmacists even for COVID-19.

A 67-year-old man with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) with severe renal dysfunction due to diabetes started induction therapy after hemodialysis. Most APL treatments are renal excretion-type drugs, and there are no clear standards for dosage reduction. In addition, there are no case reports on induction therapy of triple-drug combination with daunorubicin (DNR), cytarabine (Ara-C), and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for hemodialysis patients. We started DNR 36 mg/m² for three days, Ara-C 70 mg/m² for five days, and ATRA 12 mg/m² with reference to the APL2000 study and case reports, resulting in hematological remission. The consolidation therapy was designed with reference to the JALSG APL97 study and case reports. The first course of consolidation therapy of mitoxantrone (MIT) 4.2 mg/m² for three days and Ara-C 100 mg/m² for five days was started. The second course of consolidation therapy was DNR 30 mg/m² for two days and Ara-C 100 mg/m² for five days. In the third course of consolidation therapy, Ara-C 100 mg/m² was administered for five days, and molecular biological remission was obtained. This patient is still progressing without recurrence (988 days after the start of treatment). This case report presents one of the safe and effective administration methods of APL therapeutic drugs for patients with primary APL with severe renal dysfunction.