Construction of a risk communication system to encourage the correct use of medicine in remote islands/rural communities

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25670069
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Medical pharmacy
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: SAWADA Yasufumi 東京大学, 薬学研究科(研究院), 教授 (80114502)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SATOH Hiroki 東京大学, 大学院薬学系研究科(薬学部), 助教 (80451855) ; MIKI Akiko 東京大学, 大学院薬学系研究科(薬学部), 講師 (80646323)
• Research Collaborator: HIRAYAMA Tadahiko 社団法人長崎県薬剤師会 ; MIYAZAKI Cho-Ichiro 社団法人長崎県薬剤師会
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 離島・僻地 / 薬剤師 / リスクコミュニケーション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Since 2013, medicine classes and consultation sessions on “remote island communities without pharmacists” have been held in the model area. Consequently, there has been an increase in consultations regarding the use of medicine. The new plan is to develop a system, in collaboration with medical doctors on remote islands, in which pharmacists in the primary remote islands or in urban areas manage OTC medicines including health foods for residents in secondary remote islands.
An Internet-based questionnaire on the use of OTC medicines and pharmacist needs was conducted with residents of remote islands and urban areas across Japan. The results show that recognition of the pharmacists’ skills is lower among the residents of remote islands. In order to enhance understanding of the pharmacists’ skills, the pamphlet directed toward patients, “Everyone’s pharmacists, everyone’s medicine,” was revised and sent to all areas.

Free Research Field

育薬研究