Although several studies on pharmacists assisting care workers with patient compliance instructions have been reported, few studies have been reported on the outcomes of pharmacists' interventions. In this study, 28 care workers underwent training on medication administration assistance and medication effect in a special nursing home for the elderly. Thereafter, surveys were conducted before and after the training sessions to assess the current status of medication assistance, interest in knowledge on medicines, and effect of training on the appropriate use of medicines. All care workers felt the need to deepen their knowledge of medicine and interest in the medicines administered to residents. Pharmacists' training significantly improved their understanding of medicines and the willingness of care workers to learn. Both medicine-related and non-medicine-related medical accidents significantly decreased after the training. From our findings, training of nursing staff by pharmacists was useful and can contribute to appropriate use of medical supplies and reduction in medical accidents. Therefore, cooperation between staff of facilities and pharmacists is necessary in medication administration assistance.

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In recent years, there have been increased studies on the feasibility of virtual reality (VR) in simulation-based education in medical fields. This study aims to develop VR video educational materials for aspects of clinical pharmacy education such as drug dispensing and injection techniques, patient communication, and interviewing case patients in problem-based learning (PBL), and to clarify the materials’ feasibility and satisfaction for pharmacy students. We created VR video educational materials by recording with a 360° camera and editing. After introducing these materials to fourth-year clinical pharmacy practicum and PBL, we conducted a questionnaire on their usefulness and satisfaction for fourth-year pharmacy students. Responses were received from 205 of 217 fourth-year pharmacy students (giving a 94.5% response rate). In response to the question “Do you think VR video educational materials are useful for clinical pharmacy education?”, 193 students (94.1%) answered “I think they are very helpful” or “I think they are helpful.” For the question “Did you experience motion sickness while watching VR video educational materials on a Meta Quest 2?”, only 10 students (5.0%) and 31 students (15.3%) responded “I did” and “I did a little,” respectively. The free response results included opinions such as “I can imagine actual procedures in VR” and “It is good to have a sense of reality.” These evaluations by pharmacy students demonstrate the feasibility of developing and introducing VR video teaching materials for clinical pharmacy education.

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Nifedipine, a calcium antagonist, has been used as a treatment for hypertension. We investigated the effects of food on blood concentration changes of nifedipine from the data of the bioequivalence study (BE study), using the package insert or interview form of nifedipine sustained-release preparations. Regarding the changes in blood concentrations of nifedipine L tablets, a significant increase in AUC and a significant increase in Cmax were observed in all generic drugs when taken internally after meals compared to fasting administration. In addition, changes in blood concentrations of nifedipine CR tablets were also observed to increase AUC and Cmax when taken orally after meals compared to fasting. These rates of increase varied among generic drugs, and were thought to be affected by differences in the content and amount of meals in the BE study. In nifedipine sustained-release preparations the increase in blood concentration of nifedipine due to the effect of dietary intake may enhance the antihypertensive effect. When dispensing drugs with out-of-hospital prescriptions, pharmacists should give consideration to the selection of generic drugs and provide medication guidance that takes into account the patient's dietary style.

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The general term for complaints that develop due to the effects of weather elements such as temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure is meteoropathy. Limited studies have examined the actual status of meteoropathy in Japan, with most evaluating weather pains. Herein, we conducted a pilot survey that can help develop a large-scale questionnaire survey in the future that will elucidate the actual status of meteoropathy. Overall, 175 students from the Department of Human Nutrition, Chugoku Gakuen University were asked to complete an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. The results revealed that approximately 90% participants experienced a decline in their physical condition and mood because of weather changes. Headache was most frequently reported; however, approximately 20% of participants did not select any pain-related symptoms, including headache or lower back, joint, or abdominal pain. The most common frequency of symptoms selected was “less than once a week” by approximately 40% of the participants. In terms of symptom severity, the most frequently reported answer was “tolerable,” accounting for approximately 70% of the participants. In terms of the timing of symptom onset, 80% participants responded “during rain,” while approximately 10% of the students selected “when the weather starts to improve.” The proportion of students who took preventive measures against meteoropathy or received treatment for meteoropathy was approximately 10%. These results reveal that some individuals experience meteoropathy without pain-related symptoms. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to confirm that some patients with meteoropathy experienced symptoms when the weather started to improve. To conclude, we believe that this questionnaire contributes to the understanding of the actual status of meteoropathy. Furthermore, it was thought that understanding the actual situation of meteorological diseases would help community pharmacists encourage patients who come to their offices suffering from meteorological diseases to see a doctor.

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Habitual engagement in play using KAPLA® blocks was shown to improve cognitive function. A program called “Be healthy by using your head and fingertips! KAPLA® 1-month experience class” was held at the Tamarokuto Science Center in Nishitokyo City, Japan. Consent was obtained from 22 people (40 to 80 years old, average age of 64 years) who were interested in the 1-month KAPLA® training program, where they participated in sculptural play using KAPLA® blocks and recorded their experiences. Additionally, 15 museum volunteers (50 to 80 years old, average of 70 years) were assigned to the control group (i.e., no intervention). Before and after the KAPLA® intervention, both groups measured the time required to complete the game “Minna no Brain Training” using a tablet. Their scores, including the correct answer rate, were evaluated. After the KAPLA® intervention, significant improvements were observed in both the time required to answer and the correct answer rate in the neurasthenia and late rock, paper, scissors tasks. Furthermore, significant improvements were observed in the time required to answer the trail-making test and the deviation from the specified number of seconds in the time reproduction task, and a trend toward improvement was observed in the correct answer rate. Although no significant differences were observed in the Stroop task or 100-square calculation, a trend toward improvement was observed after the KAPLA® intervention. Building structures using KAPLA® blocks is a dual task that requires the participant to simultaneously use their minds and hands. The participants must not only concentrate and recognize positions and spatial dimensions but also use their imaginations and logical thinking skills to construct objects. This activity was effective in sustaining brain activation and maintaining or improving cognitive function.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify the usage of healthy foods and the problems that arise during pharmacist-patient consultations. Therefore, we conducted a survey in November-December 2021, using a questionnaire, with 87 patients and 6 pharmacists at the Soyaku Pharmacy Group, Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The results showed that 31% of patients thought no problems eating healthy foods while taking medicines. 16% of patients used healthy foods, and 43.8% utilized healthy foods to maintain their health. 64.3% of healthy food users took prescribed medicines. Pharmacists collected information about healthy foods from the Internet; 67% were aware of the lack of knowledge about appropriate dosage and functional ingredients, and 50% identified a problem with drug-healthy food interactions. Thus, to properly use healthy foods, pharmacists must understand patient usage and actively provide information to them.

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Although the use of pulverized drug preparations has been decreasing due to the spread of simple suspension method, pulverized drugs are still used in the pediatric field when tablets are the only available dosage form. However, only a few studies have reported about the accuracy of the two methods, and the effects of different tablet pulverization methods on the accuracy of dividing and dispensing are unknown. Therefore, we compared the accuracy of propranolol hydrochloride tablets dispensed by pharmacists with practical experience. In the pulverized tablets, drug loss was observed when the tablets remain adhered to the mortar and pestle and were divided and packaged. The pulverized tablets showed greater individual variability. Dispensing by the double-dispersion method showed smaller differences among dispensers than by pulverization method; however, the variation was not negligible. On the contrary, even with the double-dispersion method, the method of dispensing tablets within the number of days corresponding to number of pulverized tablets and subsequently taking the required number of days was found to be the method with the smallest variability.

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To clarify the current status regarding information-gathering from headache patients, the use of tracing reports in daily operations, and consultation recommendations for headache patients, we conducted a questionnaire survey involving the nearest 400 pharmacies (400 pharmacists) from 400 medical institutions where headache specialists certified by the Japanese Headache Society work. The study was conducted by dividing the patients into two groups: “active group” (tracing reports are used or sometimes used) and “passive group” (tracing reports are used infrequently or not used). The results showed that the “active group” included only 60% of all respondents (63/105), but the implementation rate for headache patients was even lower (7/63), indicating that headache was not recognized as a disease necessitating the use of tracing reports. The “active group” was also more active in recommending medical examinations, but only verbally and not in writing. The rate of interviews with headache patients about the appropriate use of OTC drugs, acute care drugs, and side effects of triptans was low, suggesting that the patients' problems may have been overlooked. These may provide clues to promote medical cooperation.

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We report a case of suspected anterograde amnesia in a patient prescribed with benzodiazepine receptor agonists, which should be administered with caution in elderly individuals. A woman patient in her 70s complained of sleepiness from the following morning onwards while taking 10 mg zolpidem tablets. She was aware of the carry-over effect. Though this patient was aware of the sleepiness from the following morning onwards, but not aware of the symptoms of amnesia, and there were concerns about a decrease in quality of life and an increase in the risk of accidents occurring. Therefore, as these dose-dependent symptoms did not develop while this patient was taking 5 mg and her sleep routine was good, the pharmacy pharmacist suggested the doctor to reduce the dose to 5 mg from initially prescribed 10 mg, taking into account the risks associated with changing sleeping pills. After the dose reduction, the patient's symptoms improved and there was no relapse of insomnia. Pharmacists need to check the physical condition of elderly patients taking zolpidem in detail and, if amnesia is suspected, suggest a reduction or discontinuation of the drug to the doctor based on a pharmacological perspective.

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