Changes in attitudes among Japanese patients after Pharmacist Law revision.
OBJECTIVE
To assess changes in patients' perception of their medications and their adherence to regimens after enactment of the Japanese Pharmacist Law revision of 1997, which stipulated provision of drug information to patients as one of the principal duties of pharmacists. Setting A university hospital in Japan.


METHODS
Comparison of cross sectional analyses between two time periods: shortly after enactment of the Pharmacist Law revision and about a half-decade later.


METHODS
Patient's knowledge of the medications, anxiety level, individual beliefs regarding taking medications without anxiety, and adherence to the medication regimens.


RESULTS
There were 141 and 151 patients who participated during each period, respectively. The proportion of non-adherent patients significantly decreased from 68.8 to 53.6% (P = 0.008). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the features of the intentionally non-adherent patients have changed; they have switched from persons who lack general comprehension about the medications (P = 0.01), ones who place an importance on knowing the side effects (P = 0.04), or who place no value on mutual reliance on their doctors (P = 0.03) into persons who place no value on understanding the purpose of taking their medications (P = 0.04) or who place value on multiple items to take medications without anxiety (P = 0.03), i.e., supposedly people who prefer thinking about their drug therapy from their own point of view based on comprehension of their disease and medications.


CONCLUSIONS
The rapid progression of drug information disclosure after enactment of the Pharmacist Law revision has likely resulted in drastic changes in patients' perception of their medications and led to improvements in medication adherence.
Iihara
Naomi
N
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kagawa Campus, Tokushima Bunri University, Shido, Sanuki-city, Kagawa, Japan. iiharan@kph.bunri-u.ac.jp
Kurosaki
Yuji
Y
Miyoshi
Chika
C
Takabatake
Kiyo
K
Morita
Shushi
S
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012737:Sex Factors
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations