In March 2021, Yamagata University Hospital created a protocol based on a simplified out-of-hospital prescription questionnaire to improve work efficiency. To confirm the effect of the protocol on work efficiency and identify its limitations, we examined the number and content of prescriptions changed by community pharmacies and the economic effect 4 months before and 6 months after introducing the protocol. In addition, we conducted a survey among the community pharmacists and doctors working in Yamagata University Hospital, using a questionnaire. The protocol was applied to 52.3％ of all the prescription changes within 6 months of introduction. Compared to the period before introduction, the number of prescription changes based on the protocol increased from 43.3 ± 15.6 to 176.0 ± 27.1 per month (P < 0.001). However, inappropriate use of the protocol was observed in 1.1％ of the prescription changes applied according to the protocol. The protocol implementation significantly increased the amount of monthly drug cost reduction due to residual medicine adjustments from JPY 76,990 ± 56,255 to 221,846 ± 85,036 (P = 0.018). The questionnaire showed that work efficiency was improved in 52.2％ and 75.4％ of the doctors and community pharmacists, respectively. Moreover, 43.3％ of the doctors and 52.9％ of the community pharmacists who were not enlisted to implement the protocol stated that they were not aware of such a protocol. Thus, the present study revealed that the protocol improved work efficiency. Our results also suggest that the protocol encourages community pharmacists to optimize prescriptions. Further awareness of the protocol is necessary for its spread and appropriate use.

In dementia care, pharmacists play a crucial role in pharmacotherapy and are expected to apply their expertise effectively. The objective of this study was to elucidate the characteristics of pharmacist-nurse principal dementia rounds (PDR) by comparing them with multidisciplinary dementia rounds (MDR) and assessing their utility. The number of rounds, additional points, and the nature of prescription suggestions were investigated for MDR and PDR from April 2022 to March 2023. The median number of rounds (remuneration points) per month was 7.5 (2,289 points) for MDR and 69.0 (22,244 points) for PDR. Regarding the proposed medications, anti-dementia drugs were the most common recommendations in MDR (36.4％), while sleep aids such as suvorexant were the most frequently suggested in PDR (41.3％). PDR predominantly proposed dosage adjustments (28.6％), along with new prescriptions (25.4％) and drug reductions (19.4％). Among patients with a prescription suggestion for drug reduction (57 patients), the diazepam equivalent decreased significantly from 5 [2.1 – 9.4] mg (median [interquartile range]) at admission to 0 [0 – 2.4] mg at discharge (P = 0.003). The anticholinergic score also decreased from 1 [1 – 3] at admission to 1 [0 – 1] at discharge (P = 0.006). PDR allowed for a broader range of interventions compared to MDR. Specifically, PDRs played a significant role in ensuring the appropriate utilization of sleeping pills and anticholinergic drugs.

The significance of communication between pharmacy pharmacists and patients has recently increased. However, it is unclear to what extent patients consider communication with pharmacists important and to what extent patients who consider communication important (the communication-priories group) evaluate the professional skills of pharmacy pharmacists.

The purpose of this study was to confirm the importance of communication between patients and pharmacists by investigating patients' evaluations of the various professional functions of pharmacists.

We conducted a questionnaire survey of patients who visited pharmacies belonging to the Gifu Pharmaceutical Association. The response rate was 11.3％ (110 pharmacies), with 974 patient respondents.

The proportions of the communication-priority group and the control group were 30.3％ and 69.7％, respectively, and a positive correlation was found between age and the proportions of communication-priority group.

In the communication-priority group, the proportion of patients who were treated by their family pharmacist and dissatisfaction items, such as checking the availability of a medication registry, prescriber-oriented intervention, and laboratory data valued at each visit, were significantly higher.

This study revealed that patients valued adequate explanations of medicines by pharmacists and communication with pharmacists. It was also found that patients were satisfied with the pharmacist's appropriate advice, helpfulness, and ease of consultation.

The patients in the communication-priority group were not willing to accept a one-sided attitude of the pharmacist, but they were also not positive about the prescriber-oriented intervention of the pharmacist. It is suggested that the patients who prioritized communication expected the pharmacists to provide appropriate advice as the medication experts.