[Continued Use of Rotigotine Transdermal Patches for Parkinson Disease].

Transdermal patches containing rotigotine, a dopamine agonist (DA) for treatment of Parkinson disease, continuously exert stable effects when applied once daily. Therefore, they are expected to reduce the patient burdens due to complications such as wearing-off and dysphagia. However, dosing is occasionally reduced or discontinued after application because of several reasons such as skin reactions or unsatisfactory efficacy.

[Evaluation of the resident pharmacist program of Fukuoka University Hospital].

Fukuoka University Hospital began to employ a resident pharmacist system in 2006. In the present study, to evaluate our resident program, we conducted a questionnaire survey of graduates who completed program as well as staff of the Pharmaceutical Department of this hospital. In addition, based on the results of this survey, we examined the current state and future of postgraduate training programs that can be offered to those who have completed a 6-year pharmacy course.

[Establishment of an educational program concerning adverse drug reaction reporting-system in long-term practical training at a hospital].

The model core curriculum for pharmaceutical education specifies the specific behavioral objectives (SBOs) concerning adverse drug reactions, which aims to train pharmacy students to manage adverse drug reactions. Fukuoka University Hospital has developed a problem-based learning (PBL) program concerning adverse drug reactions as long-term practical training to collect adverse event information, identify adverse effects, and acquire management skills. Students' level of satisfaction with the program was high (approximately 90%), and the mean self-evaluation score for the SBOs concerning adverse reaction was 4.

[Management of drugs used by anesthesiologists in the operating room].

We report the results of reviews by pharmacists of clerical errors in drugs used in the operating room by anesthesiologists from August 2005 to March 2007 at Fukuoka University Hospital. During the period, 9907 surgical patients were managed by anesthesiologists. There were 4868 clerical errors by anesthesiologists.

Evaluation of a practical training program for drug information services for fifth-year pharmacy students in a hospital.

Drug information (DI) services is an essential resource for pharmacists to provide counseling to patients and guide appropriate medication use. We devised a DI practical training course that incorporated an inquiry-based practical training program and evaluated its effectiveness. A total of 91 fifth-year students in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Fukuoka University took part in the following DI sessions based on specific behavioral objectives (SBOs) for DI in the Model Core Curriculum for Practical Training: inquiry practice, simulated pharmacy and therapeutics committee, DI newsletter, use of emergency and safety information, off-label use in clinical trials, PRE-AVOID (Be prepared to avoid the adverse drug reactions), adverse drug reactions, and small group discussions about drug poisoning.

[Establishment of a system for early exposure provided by new pharmacists in a hospital].

It is very important for students to undergo early exposure in 6-year pharmaceutical education; through this experience they will understand roles of pharmacists, map out their future career, and increase their motivation for learning. Therefore we had newly recruited pharmacists provide an early exposure program in a hospital. According to the results of a questionnaire survey involving students, educational staff of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the new pharmacists, 99% of the students were satisfied with the program, and their motivation for learning was enhanced.