title: [Pharmacies and home-care--today's status quo and problems].
abstract: As the trend towards home-care rises, the pharmacy's role in the home-care environment evolves. Now, upon discharge, the pharmacist must confer with the attending physicians and nurses, from the patient's hospital concerning medications which must be prepared for the patient's home-care, since April, 2008. Also, care insurance itself was revised in April, 2009 and patients who are in the terminal phase of their cancer or are receiving home parenteral nutrition can request helpers to visit them up to 8 times per month, like under medical insurance. However, as we look through the current situation, there are still many problems remaining which involve managing home-care and preparing medicines for outpatients, dealing with the dead stock of medicines, and insurance claims. In this issue, we report on the current situation and point out the problems pharmacies are facing with home-care, based on the real world experiences of small pharmacies.
authors.affiliation: Keyaki Pharmacy.
authors.forename: Takeya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ebihara
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kushida
mesh_terms: D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team