[Validation of the Qualitative Study Findings using Quantitative Analyses on the Current Status of Pharmacists in Home Health Care in Medium-Sized Areas].

Although the issue of home medical care and pharmacists remains widespread, much of the discussion has concentrated on its state in urban areas. We believe that it is necessary to consider the state of home health care in medium-sized regions, that is separate from its urban form, with a population of approximately 100000. Thus, we conducted a qualitative study in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, to identify factors that impede pharmacists involved in home medical care. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey in an area of the same size to verify the generality of the concepts obtained from the qualitative study and validate the concepts using quantitative analyses. Two questionnaires on the role of community health care and home health care practice based on the concepts obtained from the qualitative study was sent to 342 pharmacies located in five regions. The number of valid responses was 170, and the data collection rate was 49.4%. We identified nine factors from the former and five from the latter. The current status of pharmacists in home health care in a medium-sized region, as identified by the quantitative study, was similar to that of the conceptual picture obtained from the qualitative study. Furthermore, the high versatility of the extracted concepts was verified.

[Survey in Hyogo Prefecture on the Current Status of Pharmacists in Home Health Care and Exploration of Factors Causing Psychological Burden].

There is a need for pharmacists to be actively involved in home healthcare through a wide range of collaboration in healthcare and welfare. However, insufficient evidence is available to search for factors that prevent pharmacists from being proactive in home healthcare. In this study, we conducted an extensive questionnaire survey among pharmacists engaged in home pharmacy work who belong to the Hyogo Pharmaceutical Society regarding the current status of pharmacists' work in home medical care and their psychological burden; we also explored the factors that may hinder the future development of home medical care. As a result, 925 (44%) valid responses were obtained, and seven factors- "current multidisciplinary cooperation", "relationships with patients and their families", "emotional burden for home healthcare", "attitude toward patients", "ideal of multidisciplinary cooperation", "anxiety about aggressive intervention", and "anxiety about talking to and dealing with patients"- were extracted. Furthermore, it was suggested that pharmacists' mental burden and anxiety are closely related to their successful experiences in building relationships with patients and patients' families as well as with multidisciplinary cooperation in home healthcare. Therefore, to train pharmacists to be actively involved in home healthcare, it is important not only to impart knowledge and skills but also for them to gain experience practicing their contributions as pharmacists in the field of home healthcare with multiple professions, patients, and patients' families.

Effect of prior knowledge and peer evaluation ratings on final exam performance in a team-based learning chemistry course.

INTRODUCTION: Various reports have been published regarding adoption of team-based learning (TBL) in pharmacy education. However, there is insufficient published evidence on the effect of student characteristics on student learning outcomes in a TBL curriculum. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of pre-study examination results and peer evaluation ratings on learning outcomes. METHODS: The TBL strategy was adopted for a basic chemistry exercise for first-year students at a private pharmacy school in Japan (2012-2019). For the analysis, students were divided into four analytical groups according to quartiles of pre-study examination results. The students were further divided into the high-peer evaluation rating group and low-peer evaluation rating group. We compared the final exam performance results between these groups. RESULTS: In all four groups by quartiles of pre-study examination results, the course final exam performance was higher for the high-peer evaluation rating students than for the low-peer evaluation rating students. CONCLUSIONS: Within the TBL framework, students with higher peer evaluation scores performed better on the final exam, regardless of the pre-study examination results.

Disaster medical education for pharmacy students using video recordings of practical disaster drills.

INTRODUCTION: This study created video-based educational materials for pharmacists' disaster response using video recordings of disaster drills to evaluate the feasibility of online education for teaching evacuation shelter management. METHODS: Video materials were created from an actual disaster drill held at the Hirakata campus of Setsunan University and were provided to second-year pharmacy students as part of their classes. We conducted a questionnaire survey before and after the video intervention to evaluate participants' attitudes toward providing support during disasters, awareness of pharmacists' role in disaster relief, and willingness to participate in disaster drills. RESULTS: A comparison of the pre- and post-intervention questionnaire results showed that the intervention enhanced participants' understanding of pharmacists' role in disaster medicine. The factor analysis, cluster analysis, and the amount of change showed that the video materials vividly conveyed the confusion of a disaster to the participants and helped them imagine experiencing and responding to a disaster. CONCLUSION: The findings showed the feasibility of using video-based educational materials to vividly convey the chaos that challenges medical personnel during disaster-response efforts. This method provides a safe way to prepare students who might be called upon to work in emergency conditions and stimulate interest in disaster medicine. Ideally, this and similar interventions will become part of an extensive toolbox of empirically-based disaster preparedness educational materials.

[Implementation and Verification of Tabletop Training Program for Disaster Evacuation Shelter Support for School Pharmacist].

In this paper, as a program targeting school pharmacists engaged in health counseling and health guidance at elementary and junior high schools, which are often evacuation centers, we have rebuilt the disaster evacuation shelter support chart program for community pharmacists. As a result of the questionnaire survey, there were seen 4 groups. There were a group that was conscious of shelter support, a group who felt that they did not have aptitude for disaster relief, a group that was conscious of general support and logistical support, and a group that showed a negative attitude towards disaster relief. From this, it was suggested that this training program worked enlighteningly to support affected area by school pharmacists, and at the same time participants themselves could lead to consideration of aptitude for support at the time of disaster.

[A Qualitative Analysis of Mobile Pharmacies as Disaster Measure and Pharmacists' Mental Health during Disaster Support: The 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake].

The use of medical supply vehicles (mobile pharmacies) as a disaster measure developed after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 when a massive tsunami destroyed the medicine supply system. In the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, mobile pharmacies were dispatched from Oita, Wakayama, and Hiroshima and contributed to medical treatment in the disaster area. In this study, we conducted an interview to structure the mental conflicts of the pharmacists supporting the disaster victims by means of the mobile pharmacies, a novel medical support tool. We conducted a semi-structured interview of 21 pharmacists. The modified grounded theory approach was used for data collection and analysis. As a result, 36 concepts and 13 categories were generated. The support pharmacists maintained mobile pharmacies as a method for cooperation among multiple occupations, and talked about further collaboration in the operation of mobile pharmacies.

Survey on Disaster Relief Activities to the Pharmacists Belonging to Kobe-city Pharmaceutical Organization.

In 2014, there were about 160 thousands community pharmacists in Japan. Community pharmacists are health care workers who help victims in a disaster and are potential resources who can provide disaster relief. However, currently the disaster relief activities of community pharmacists are merely a resourceful and flexible demonstration of their professional abilities and not a specifically organized activity. Therefore, disaster relief education programs for community pharmacists are being explored and studies are still in the nascent stage. In this study, pharmacists of a pharmaceutical organization in Kobe City were asked to reply to a questionnaire survey so that their hopes and ideas about the disaster relief activities that they carry out can help build effective educational programs to enhance relief activities. Finally, 8 factors (cumulative contribution rate: 90.9%) were extracted by factor analysis (maximum likelihood method, the diagonal elements: squared multiple correlation, quartimin rotation) of the 25 questions. In addition, a hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward method) by the factor scores of the extracted 8 factors resulted in 7 groups. The findings revealed the groups into which the community pharmacists were divided and their hopes and ideas about disaster relief. We expect that these results could bring awareness about the disaster relief activities suitable for each community pharmacist, provide appropriate training opportunities for those who volunteer, and motivate daily studies and preparations for disaster relief activities among community pharmacists.