ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research was to clarify the factors influencing the approval or disapproval and evaluative opinions of the public concerning separation of dispensing and prescribing functions. We conducted a Web survey with 2006 participants (September 2016). We conducted multiple logistic regression analysis and quantitative analysis of freely recorded their reasons about approval or disapproval. The approval rating was 29.2％ in persons who had had some prior experience with at the pharmacies (n＝1,778) and 41.9% in participants who made regular clinic visits and always filled prescriptions at the pharmacy (n＝430). Multiple logistic regression analysis of the data of participants who visited pharmacies (n＝1,778), identified that compared to participants who experienced side effects (OR＝1.34), the frequency of used pharmacies (OR：Odds ratio＝1.47), the filling burdened by having to fill prescriptions at the pharmacy (OR＝0.19, 1/OR＝5.18), there was a significant positive association for the approval. Analysis of qualitative data of the group that approved identified many labels related to ‘quality of results’, however no labels related to ‘quality of results’ were generated in the group which disapproved. Public approval or disapproval of non-hospital based prescription is mainly determined based on the burden or inconvenience incurred (due to waiting times, mobility-incurred time and energy, inconvenience associated with travel, inconvenience of repeated visits) when filling prescriptions at the pharmacy rather than on opinions regarding the pharmacy’s drug therapy service. Measures are required to increase the level of merit compared to the burden experienced in the use of pharmacy.