Cibenzoline succinate is a renal-excretion type antiarrhythmic medication. There have been few reports on prescribing of cibenzoline succinate to elderly patients, whose renal function is expected to decline. Therefore, we estimated creatinine clearance based on body weight and serum creatinine levels by age group as reported in the “National Health and Nutrition Investigation in 2019” by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and compared cibenzoline upper limit doses accordingly with optimal cibenzoline prescriptions in the processed receipt data of insurance pharmacies. We also investigated the occurrence of dose reduction over time in patients whose initial cibenzoline dose exceeded the upper limit. The study indicates that some patients over 75 years old may have exceeded the upper dose limit for age-related decline in Ccr. Patients who exceeded their initial cibenzoline dose were significantly more likely to experience subsequent dose reductions. As such, pharmacy pharmacists should check the renal function of patients and optimize cibenzoline doses accordingly.

Elneopa NF No. 1 and No. 2 infusions are total parenteral nutrition solutions packaged in four-chambered infusion bags. When Elneopa NF infusions are used as home parenteral nutrition, various drugs are co-injected into the infusion bags to treat patient symptoms. This study evaluated the stability of six drugs, including famotidine, scopolamine butylbromide, furosemide, bromhexine hydrochloride, betamethasone sodium phosphate, and metoclopramide hydrochloride, in the Elneopa NF infusion solutions after passing through the infusion line for 24 hours. We observed no therapeutically significant reductions in famotidine, scopolamine butylbromide, furosemide, betamethasone sodium phosphate, and metoclopramide hydrochloride concentrations in Elneopa NF No. 1 and No. 2 after passing through the infusion line. However, we observed a significant decrease in bromhexine hydrochloride concentration in Elneopa NF No. 1 and No. 2 after passing through the infusion line. Therefore, when bromhexine hydrochloride is co-injected into Elneopa NF, the expected therapeutic effect may not be obtained. Also, it was suggested that there was no conversion to insoluble particulate matter affecting their concentration by the co-injection of 6 drugs. The results of this study provide valuable information on total parenteral nutrition.

In the event of a large-scale disaster, the ability to supply medicines to disaster victims will be reduced, putting patients’ lives at risk. In Hokkaido, large earthquakes are expected to occur along the Japan Trench and the Kuril Islands Trench, making it necessary to stockpile pharmaceuticals and other supplies in preparation for a large-scale disaster. However, the current disaster-preparedness status of pharmacies, which play an important role in the supply of pharmaceuticals, is not known. Therefore, we conducted an awareness survey of pharmacy managers and administrators throughout Hokkaido regarding the stockpiling of pharmaceuticals and other supplies in preparation for a large-scale disaster, the creation of a business continuity plan (BCP), and their sense of burden. The results showed that only 36.1% of respondents answered that they “need to stockpile pharmaceuticals,” while 26.8% answered that they “have prepared a BCP.” Thus, it was found that these measures are urgently needed. The percentage of respondents who recognized the need to stockpile medicines and who had prepared a BCP was lower among small pharmacies and smaller group pharmacies. This suggests the importance of raising awareness of the need for collaboration among community pharmacies and establishing a system to facilitate collaboration. In addition, the burden on pharmacy managers is related to their experience in disaster care, suggesting the need for training and education on how to provide disaster care.

Geriatric syndromes associated with medications have been a social problem in Japan due to a rapid growing aging population in recent years. The aim of this study was to extract outpatients complaining of geriatric syndromes associated with medications at a pharmacy in Japan. We interviewed 206 outpatients individually by asking whether there were any symptoms labeled as geriatric syndromes they were conscious of after explaining about polypharmacy including typical symptoms such as drowsiness, depression, forgetfulness, reduced appetite, lightheadedness/dizziness, difficulty urinating and constipation with the use of a polypharmacy leaflet. The results showed that the prevalence of geriatric syndromes associated with medications was 7.8%, and moreover that the more medications patients take, the more they are likely to complain about their health problems. Especially, five or more medications were found to be associated with the increased frequency of geriatric syndromes in the outpatients. The present study suggests a simple screening method using active intervention and structured interview techniques for extraction of outpatients complaining of geriatric syndromes associated with medications at pharmacies.

Recently, emphasis has been placed on the involvement of pharmacists in home pharmaceutical care. One reason for this is a growing need for infusion therapy at home. Specialized knowledge and skills are needed to prepare intravenous drugs, and although these skills are learned at university, they cannot be adequately and safely performed without extensive practice . As part of our ongoing refresher education program for pharmacists, we conducted injectable drug mixing and preparation workshops for insurance pharmacy employed pharmacists, and disseminated a survey questionnaire regarding these workshops. Pharmacists who participated in the injectable drug mixing and preparation workshops administered by the School of Pharmacy of Aichi-Gakuin University from 2021 to 2023 were included in the survey. Questionnaires were provided to workshop participants who demonstrated adequate understanding of the explanatory documents provided when obtaining written informed consent . Survey results indicated that knowledge and skills were improved by participation. The questionnaires also helped us decide what content to provide in future workshops to better meet participant needs.

In recent years, the expansion and improvement of online using information and communication technology is expected to improve the accessibility of medical care and prevent infectious diseases, however, online medication instruction has not been fully evaluated. Therefore, a survey was conducted to understand the status of the implementation of online medication instruction and the background of those who wish to receive it, in order to clarify future issues. Patients who received online medication instruction from 34 outlets of the C.C. Core Pharmacy Group, Inc., were included in the study. Online medication instructions were provided by approximately 90% pharmacies. However, the utilization rate was not high, with 201 cases in 3 months, and approximately 30% of the total number of users used the service more than once. In addition, more than 50% users were under the age of 30, suggesting that users’ age may be influenced by their living conditions. Furthermore, the most common diseases among users were the common cold (approximately 25%) and skin diseases such as skin allergy (approximately 20%). Thus, it was concluded that the suitability of a disease for online medical care may be affected. To promote online medication management, patients need to be offered options such as medication management that fits into their daily schedules. In addition, it is necessary to expand the use of online medication instruction under new conditions while considering the safety and appropriateness of continued use by patients who have experienced online medication instruction.

Aim: The aim of this study is to 1) assess community pharmacists’ perspectives on emergency contraceptive pill regulations in Japan, 2) to determine community pharmacists’ views on sale conditions, and 3) to identify potential problems from the pharmacists’ perspective when switching ECPs to OTC status. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 203 community pharmacists who have completed training to dispense ECPs on prescription in 125 pharmacies in Chiba prefecture, Japan. Results: 108 completed questionnaires were collected. Respondents who deemed the current ECP dispensing system inappropriate or rather inappropriate pointed out the insufficient doctors prescribing ECPs (97.4% vs 75.4%, p=0.003, χ² test), that too much time passes between intercourse and taking the ECP (100% vs 87%, p=0.004) and the high prices (79.5% vs 43.5%, p<0.001) more than those who answered otherwise (neutral, rather appropriate, appropriate or no answer). 94.4% (n=102) of all respondents agreed that ECPs should be available without prescription. Respondents who only conditionally agreed to the OTC sale worry that there are not enough pharmacists qualified to sell ECPs (78.6% vs 59.4%, p=0.044) and that efficient contraception would be used less (67.1% vs 37.5%, p=0.005), more than those who unconditionally agreed to the OTC sale. Conclusion: Most respondents agreed that ECPs should be available without prescription, which would improve fast access to ECPs. Implementing a subsidy system as a part of health insurance could relieve the economic burden of the customers.

Tracing reports are an important tool for patient pharmacological management. However, their emergence and utilization are relatively recent, and information on the actual condition of pharmacists is insufficient. Therefore, we conducted a survey on the frequency of tracing report creation by individual pharmacists to provide reference to improve this practice. In November 2020, we conducted a questionnaire survey among pharmacists working at insurance pharmacies and collected data on their background, the frequency of tracing report creation, the number of prescription inquiries, and the psychological factors of their daily tasks. We received valid responses from 88 pharmacists. Approximately 14% of these pharmacists answered to create tracing reports more than once a week, and approximately 60% chose the frequency of “not 0 times a week on average, but less than 1 time”. To improve the frequency of tracing report creation, expertise in pharmacological management was deemed necessary.

In Japan, the treatment of acne has advanced with the approval of adapalene, topical benzoyl peroxide, and other drugs, as well as the development of treatment guidelines in 2017. However, a prior study indicated that 8.9% of cases continued into the maintenance phase after treatment in the acute inflammatory phase. Follow-up by pharmacists after dispensing medication is primarily conducted via telephone, but it is essential to consider the school or work hours of patients with acne. In this study, we investigated cases of follow-up through short message service (SMS) and verified the content of the consultations, the provision of information to physicians, and the continuation of dispensing. The results showed that 60.4% of the patients responded to the SMS, and pharmacists successfully followed up with these patients. Among the patients who provided information to their physicians with patient consent, 69.9% received a second dispensing. In contrast, among the patients who did not provide information, only 30.2% received a second dispensing, indicating a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.001). This study underscores the potential of SMS as an effective follow-up tool for patients with acne and highlights the importance of providing information to physicians.