[Current status of "hospital-clinic" and "hospital-pharmacy" cooperation for inhalation therapy -based on hospital surveys throughout Japan].
BACKGROUND
The "zero death from asthma strategy" in the medical treatment for bronchial asthma has been promoted by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare from 2006, and it indicates that medical and non-medical specialists, as well as pharmacists, should cooperate, and strives to build cooperation which is suited the actual conditions of an area. It is also important for COPD. Although hospitals in some areas cooperate with clinics and pharmacies, the overall concept of cooperation appears to be absent in most Japanese hospitals.


METHODS
A questionnaire was administered in early March, 2012 to 477 allergology institutions, and was authorized by an educational establishment.


RESULTS
Among 246 replies from the institutions, cooperation between hospitals and clinics was carried out by 98 institutions (39.8%) specializing in bronchial asthma, and in 64 institutions (37.2%) specializing in COPD. However, cooperation tools were used in only 37 of these institutions (15.0%). The ability to fill prescriptions outside the hospital was available in 209 institutions (85.0%). One-hundred and seventeen institutions (47.6%) replied that they have no tools for hospital-pharmacy cooperation. Direct indications were written in prescriptions by 82 institutions (33.3).


CONCLUSIONS
In order to build inter-regional association and to equalize medical treatment, we suggest that developing tools and organization for cooperation between health professionals who treat patients with bronchial asthma and COPD is necessary.
Respiratory Medicine, Osaka Red Cross Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
Chie
C
Yoshimura
School of Pharmaceutial Sciences International University of Health and Welfare.
Yasuyuki
Y
Momose
Respiratory Medicine, Maebashi Red Cross Hospital, Maebashi, Gumma.
Takeo
T
Horie
Department of Respiratory Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Yokohama-city Seibu Hospital.
Yuko
Y
Komase
Department of Medical Oncology and Immunology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences.
Akio
A
Niimi
Gunma University School of Health Sciences.
Kunio
K
Dobashi
Departments of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Shinshu University School of Health Sciences.
Keisaku
K
Fujimoto
The Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Kinki University, Faculty of Medicine.
Yuuji
Y
Tohda
National Hospital Organization, Tokyo National Hospital.
Ken
K
Ohta
International University of Health and Welfare, Clinical Medicine Study Center Department of Allergy, Sanno Hospital.
Mitsuru
M
Adachi
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010604:Pharmacy; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents