Effects of Resistant Maltodextrin on the on Post-Prandial Blood Glucose Elevation in Japanese Individuals / 医薬品情報学

<b>Objective: </b>We conducted a meta-analysis on the suppressive effect of resistant maltodextrin on post-prandial blood glucose elevation, which is approved in Japan as food for specified health use, and the following is allowed to be indicated on the label “it is suitable for consumption by those who are concerned about their post-prandial blood glucose levels because the absorption of sugars is abated by the action of dietary fiber (resistant maltodextrin).”<br><b>Method: </b>Our literature search covered Ichushi-Web (Japan Medical Abstracts Society), Japan Science and Technology Information Aggregator, Electronic (J-stage), Google Scholar, and PubMed databases and extracted English and Japanese publications on randomized, double-blind, controlled studies comparing resistant maltodextrin and a control in Japanese subjects for the reduction of areas under the blood glucose response curves at 30, 60, and 120 min after eating as an efficacy index.<br><b>Result: </b>Among these publications, four articles with a Jadad score (an assessment of the quality of randomized controlled studies) of ≥ 3 were included in the meta-analysis.  Significant inhibitory effects were confirmed from areas under the blood glucose response curves at 30, 60, and 120 min after eating in the meta-analysis that was performed to evaluate the effects of resistant maltodextrin on post-prandial blood glucose elevation in Japanese individuals.<br><b>Conclusion: </b>However, we were not able to test for publication bias because the number of extracted publications was small, and thus, additional research and case studies are warranted.

Recognition of Community Pharmacists’ Professional and Issues Based on a Survey Targeting Mothers Who are in Child Care / 社会薬学

We implemented a questionnaire survey targeting mothers who are in child care and had participated in consultations regarding drugs and diseases. We examined the future roles of community pharmacists by exploring the mothers’ concerns and, anxieties about child cares and their backgrounds, and their expectations for profession of community pharmacist. Mothers have listed anxiety and concerns of child care about “dermatitis such as rash and atopic eczema”; “food allergies”; “infectious diseases such as measles, chicken pox, and mumps”; and “side effects of vaccination”. In addition, most of them indicated their own concerns and anxiety about “solutions to children’s illnesses.” Despite their anxieties and concerns, however, approximately 60% of the mothers have never consulted with community pharmacists. Among them, approximately a half of them indicated the following three reasons why they have never consulted with pharmacists: “I have nothing to talk about,”, “I do not know what I should talk about,”, and “I was not sure if it was alright to talk about my concerns.”. From these results, we concluded that community pharmacists in the future should improve their communication skills and inform their availability to consult about medicine and disease to local residents.