Issues Concerning the Administration of Medication to Children by Nursery School Staff in Tokyo: Exploring the Possibility of Community Pharmacist Support and Collaboration / 社会薬学

Anxiety and difficulty in administering medication to nursery school children has been reported among nursery school teachers. This study aimed to elucidate these issues and explore the possibility of pharmacist support and collaboration. We conducted a postal survey in September 2019 among nursery schools in Tokyo that are categorized as government-authorized schools, certified childcare centers, and prefectural governor-certified schools. A total of 1,537 schools responded to the self-report questionnaires (response rate: 41.2%), and 1,533 responses were analyzed. Of these, 1,488 schools were asked if they would accept requests to administer medication to their school children, and 60.1% of the nursery schools responded that their staff (including teachers and nurses) found it difficult to administer medication. The issues identified included psychological burdens (such as nervousness and pressure about giving the correct medication), staff shortage, insufficient time with the children, and human factors (such as personal perceptions of medication). Additionally, excessive requests to administer medication, caregiver behavior such as low awareness of children’s health and appropriate medication, and poor medication adherence at home were identified as issues. It was suggested that pharmacists could help alleviate these problems through their daily work at the pharmacy. Approximately 49-62% of schools responded that they would request the collaboration of community pharmacists to conduct training sessions for nursery school staff, provide health support for caregivers, and provide general health and medication consultations. The collaboration between nursery schools and community pharmacists may gain importance in the future.

A Survey on the Attitude of Clinical Pharmacists toward the Questions Related to Pharmacy Practice ofthe National Examination for Pharmacists / 医薬品情報学

A 6-year pharmaceutical education system was initiated over a decade ago in Japan because highly skilled pharmacists are needed by communities and hospitals. The current national examination for pharmacists consists of three sections, and its primary purpose is to assess the ability of students to apply the pharmaceutical knowledge they attained at university or college to real-world practice in medical care. We aimed to examine the attitudes of clinical pharmacists working in community pharmacies and hospitals regarding the practical section of the national examination for pharmacists. An online survey was conducted between November 2018 and January 2019. The results of this survey showed that 15 out of the 50 total pharmacists surveyed attempted to answer or skimmed through some questions from the practical section of the 103rd national examination for pharmacists. On the contrary, a little less than half of the pharmacists disregarded the examination content. The participants answered 10 questions extracted from the 103rd national examination that were related to real-world practice. They considered most information to be necessary knowledge in clinical situations, e.g., that concerning drug and food interactions. Furthermore, self-medication and treatment at home that are and will be increasingly required for pharmacists in the future were considered relevant and important.

A Questionnaire Survey on Economic Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Care in Schools of Pharmacy / 社会薬学

In Japan, the model core curriculum for pharmacy education was revised in 2013 and a topic related to pharmacoeconomics was added. A questionnaire survey was conducted to clarify the current situation of teaching this topic in schools of pharmacy. In an annual meeting of social pharmacy education in October 2017, a purpose this survey was explained and asked someone who had taught this topic in each school to answer questions. A total of 61 schools responded by mails or e-mails among 74 schools across Japan (82.4% response rate). About 68% of schools, the topic was taught as a part of required subjects. Main keywords related to analytical methods such as cost-effectiveness, ICER, and QALY were covered at 90% and over of all schools. However, utilization for healthcare decision making process was rarely discussed with case analysis (21.6%). Only limited schools answered that they included keywords of HTA and guideline. More than 90% of schools showed that preparation of syllabus and slides for the lecture was helpful. The survey indicated that contents taught in each school differed across schools and an appropriate educational tool would be required to standardize way of teaching under the core curriculum requirements.