Construction of a Multi-Label Classifier for Extracting Multiple Incident Factors From Medication Incident Reports in Residential Care Facilities: Natural Language Processing Approach.

Background: Medication safety in residential care facilities is a critical concern, particularly when nonmedical staff provide medication assistance. The complex nature of medication-related incidents in these settings, coupled with the psychological impact on health care providers, underscores the need for effective incident analysis and preventive strategies. A thorough understanding of the root causes, typically through incident-report analysis, is essential for mitigating medication-related incidents.

[Actual Access and Usage of Antipyretic Analgesics before and after COVID-19 Vaccination: Pharmacist's Roles in Promoting Proper Use of Medicines during the Infodemic].

An overwhelming surge of information regarding preparedness for postvaccination side effects had caused widespread confusion approximately since April 2021, when the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination had started for the general population in Japan. Notably, this resulted in a remarkably increased shortage of OTC acetaminophen formulations. The aim of this study was to elucidate the actual responses of the public in such an environment, how individuals acquired and understood information related to the management of postvaccination side effects, and how they obtained and used antipyretic analgesics before and after COVID-19 vaccination.

Medication incidents associated with the provision of medication assistance by non-medical care staff in residential care facilities.

The shift towards community-based care in Japan has led to increased medication assistance for older people by non-medical care staff. These staff members help take pre-packaged medications, apply patches, and administer eye drops. This study assessed the risks associated with such assistance by reviewing medication-related incidents across 106 residential care facilities between April 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016.

[Evaluation of Pharmacists' Active Intervention to Reduce Potentially Inappropriate Medications in Special Older Adult Nursing Home].

Currently, elderly care facilities that do not offer long-term care are not required to employ pharmacists, and duties such as the dispensing and distribution of medicines are entrusted to external pharmacies. Pharmacists seldom spend sufficient time at the facilities for elderly people requiring special care. Thus, in many cases, the pharmacists have insufficient knowledge of the residents' medication status, leading to their inability in determining whether the residents are receiving a suitable drug therapy.

The impact of a medical drama featuring a hospital pharmacist on the perception of pharmacists among high school students and guardians: A quasi-experimental study.

Background: A pharmacist's work has shifted from non-personal to in-person services; especially in a super-aging society, further collaboration with other professions is needed. Communication has become an essential skill for pharmacists. However, there is limited public awareness about the work of pharmacists, and their perception among high school students is unclear.

Analysis of contributory factors to incidents related to medication assistance for residents taking medicines in residential care homes for the elderly: a qualitative interview survey with care home staff.

Background: In Japan, staff who are not doctors or nurses can assist the elderly in residential care facilities to take their pre-packaged medicines. Therefore, there is a potential risk of incidents specific to staffs. The aim of this study was to clarify the causes of incidents related to medication assistance by staff in residential care facilities.

Information provision and retrieval by registered salespersons from consumers during over-the-counter drug sales - a questionnaire survey.

Background: In Japan, non-pharmacists who are accredited as registered salespersons can sell over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, and they play a very important role in supporting proper OTC drug use by consumers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate information provided to and information collected from consumers, and cooperation with pharmacists during OTC drug sales by registered salespersons, and to clarify their related concerns and behaviors.

Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of 385 registered salespersons working at 56 drugstores throughout Japan was conducted.

Questionnaire survey investigation of the present status of dietetic consultation at community pharmacies from the perspectives of registered dietitians and pharmacists.

Background: Registered dietitians are rarely employed at community pharmacies in Japan, even though dietetic advice might benefit some patients.

Objective: To clarify the present status of dietetic consultation provided by registered dietitians and their collaboration with pharmacists in community pharmacies.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of pharmacists and registered dietitians who work in community pharmacies.

[Mothers' Attitudes regarding Medication Administration at Nursery School: A Survey among Mothers with Prior Request Experience to Evaluate Factors Related to the Frequency of Requests to Administer Medication].

The difficulty and anxiety of nursery staff in administering medication to children at nursery schools has been reported, and its reduction is desired. However, the attitudes of mothers in requesting medication and the factors related to a high frequency of requests are not clear. We conducted an online survey of 600 mothers from April to May 2019 regarding the administration of medication at nursery school, and 301 mothers who had previously made such requests were analyzed.

[The Situation Concerning Medication Administration at Nursery Schools from the Mothers' Perspective Evaluated Using a Questionnaire].

Previous studies have reported the inappropriate administration of medication at nursery schools by the staff and a lack of drug-related information from caregivers at the time of request. However, the situation concerning medication administration at nursery schools from the mothers' perspective is unknown and it is not clear what information the mothers provided to nursery staff at the request. We conducted an online survey between April and May 2019 regarding the administration of medication at the nursery school with input from 600 mothers.

Experimental Study on Patient Preferences Regarding the Shape and Size of Medical Tablets and Capsules Using Three-Dimensionally Printed Plastic Model Formulations.

Background: Tablets and capsules are the most common dosage forms. However, ease of use and/or swallowing influences patients' compliance.

Objective: To identify patients' preferences regarding the three-dimensional size of medical tablets/capsules.

Characteristics of "Hard-to-Use" Press-Through-Package Sheets: An Analysis of Information Collected by Marketing Specialists of a Japanese Medical Wholesaler.

Background: Press-through-package (PTP) sheets are common forms of packaging for medicines in Japan. However, patients and/or pharmacists have reported difficulty in extracting tablets or capsules from some PTP sheets.

Objective: We used postmarketing surveillance data to identify the characteristics of PTP sheets that patients and pharmacists feel are "hard to use".

Threshold Size of Medical Tablets and Capsules: Based on Information Collected by Japanese Medical Wholesaler.

Background: Medical tablets and capsules are superior with regard to portability and are the most common dosage form in Japan. However, their large size often results in difficulties during ingestion, sometimes leading to reduced medication adherence.

Objective: The authors used postmarketing surveillance data to determine the threshold size of medical tablets and capsules that patients feel are too large to ingest.

[Survey on the Attitudes and Concerns of Nursing Home Staff Regarding Assistance of Medication Administrations in Japan: A Questionnaire Survey].

Care workers at care facilities play an important role in providing medication-administration assistance, and in medication risk management. Nevertheless, research has not made clear the specific concerns that care workers have at work sites, as well as the extent of their burdens. Thus, we conducted a questionnaire survey from October 1 through October 31, 2014 for staff who provide medication-administration assistance at for-pay elderly person homes about the concrete concerns and burdens with regards to the assistance.

Utility of an adverse drug event database based on the narrative accounts of patients with breast cancer.

Patient narratives of adverse drug events (ADEs) often differ from the symptoms listed on the package inserts of pharmaceutical products using common ADE terminology and could be a source of great comfort to patients with the same disease. To explore this idea, we analyzed written narratives obtained from 48 patients with breast cancer using the NPO Corporation Database of Individual Patients' Experiences, Japan (DIPEx-Japan). Our analysis aimed to determine the utility of an "Adverse Drug Event Database" for use in clinical settings as a novel source of disease information in patients' own words.

Medications and fall risk: a case-control study in nursing home residents in Japan.

Aim: Falls are a significant problem for older people, but are few studies of the risk of falling in residents of nursing homes in Japan. We aimed to investigate the risk factors for falls and the association of medication use and falls in nursing home residents in Japan.

Methods: This case-control study reviewed the records of residents of who were ≥ 65 years of age and had fallen in 2012 and an age-, sex-, and facility-matched control group selected from 58 nursing homes in Japan.

The process of surplus medicine accumulation by elderly Japanese patients with chronic disease: A qualitative study.

The Japanese government actively urges pharmacists to support efforts to reduce surplus medicines. However, these activities currently serve only to dispose of surplus medicines; no measures are being taken to fundamentally prevent the accumulation of surplus medicines from the outset. A deep understanding of patients' views about storing medicines at home and how they might be accumulating surplus medicines would contribute to the prevention of surplus accumulation.

[Questionnaire Survey for Pharmacists to Identify Factors Associated with Confusion Errors Involving Similar-appearing Press-through Package (Blister Pack)].

　Similar-appearing press-through package (PTP) sheets (also known as blister packs) that contain different medicines may result in incorrect medication due to confusion errors. To evaluate the significance of this problem and to identify the factors that may lead to such errors, we conducted a questionnaire survey for pharmacists. Three hundred and eighty-two pairs of PTP sheets with similar appearance were included in the questionnaire.

Differences in how bronchial asthma patients transmit experience about adverse reactions and usability of inhaled steroids to others: A qualitative focus-group study.

Patients' experience of adverse reactions (ADR) and usability of drugs is important for proper use and post-marketing development of drugs, but it remains unclear whether and how patients are transmitting such information to others. The aim of this study was to explore differences in the ways in which bronchial asthma (BA) patients transmit experience of ADR to inhaled corticosteroids and usability of inhalers to others, including the reasons for these differences. A qualitative study involving focus-group interviews was conducted.

Quantitative prediction of fetal plasma concentration of fluvoxamine during dosage-tapering to the mother.

Introduction: Although selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been used during pregnancy for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, the fetal plasma concentration profiles of them remained unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a pharmacokinetic model to estimate fetal plasma concentration profiles of fluvoxamine, and to clarify the differences with those of paroxetine.

Methods: Perfusion studies using human placentae obtained from full-term pregnant women were conducted to estimate transplacental pharmacokinetic parameters for fluvoxamine.

[What the Desirable Collaboration between Care Workers in Nursing Homes and Phamacists Should Be: An Approach for Security and Safe Medication for Residents in Nursing Homes].

In our previous research, there was no collaboration between care workers and pharmacists, for the most part. As a result, it was discovered that in some cases, problems concerning medication of nursing home residents had not been resolved. To solve this issue, we brought together care workers and pharmacists for a workshop we conducted.

Analysis of the Mechanism of Prolonged Persistence of Drug Interaction between Terbinafine and Amitriptyline or Nortriptyline.

The purpose of the study was to quantitatively estimate and predict drug interactions between terbinafine and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), amitriptyline or nortriptyline, based on in vitro studies. Inhibition of TCA-metabolizing activity by terbinafine was investigated using human liver microsomes. Based on the unbound K values obtained in vitro and reported pharmacokinetic parameters, a pharmacokinetic model of drug interaction was fitted to the reported plasma concentration profiles of TCAs administered concomitantly with terbinafine to obtain the drug-drug interaction parameters.

Pharmacokinetic model analysis of interaction between phenytoin and capecitabine.

Objective: Recent reports have shbown an increase in serum phenytoin levels resulting in phenytoin toxicity after initiation of luoropyrimidine chemotherapy. To prevent phenytoin intoxication, phenytoin dosage must be adjusted. We sought to develop a pharmacokinetic model of the interaction between phenytoin and capecitabine.