[Review of drug information provided to patients from the viewpoint of hospital pharmacists].
Risks for patients and consumers can be minimized depending on how they are provided appropriate drug information. Therefore, from the viewpoint of hospital pharmacists, I would like to report on how information should be provided in order to minimize patient risk. For example, there is an ongoing opinion that the provision of easy-to-understand drug information to patients and consumers "does not appear necessary". The reasons for this include the following: Because the level of understanding varies greatly among patients, it is difficult to define what "easy-to-understand" information entails; rather, it may cause misunderstanding. These problems occur repeatedly if they are resolved by individual institutions. Therefore, it is essential to standardize the drug information provided to patients, that is, to establish a system to transmit drug information to patients and consumers. Regardless of whether the development of a hospital information system is in progress or not, it can be said that the development of such information systems is gradually spreading outside of hospitals and the situation is changing. From the viewpoint of patients, medical services are not limited to those from hospitals. Patient-centered collaboration between hospitals/clinics and pharmacies (but not the collaboration between hospital pharmacists and community pharmacists (why not?)) can provide good medical services only if patient information is shared. It is essential to establish a system for providing a drug guide for patients, in order to have patients understand drug information. The preparation of Drug Information for Patients would provide health care specialists a communication tool that helps minimize patient risk.
Department of Pharmacy, NTT Medical Center Tokyo.
Takao
T
Orii
D004346:Drug Information Services; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D010595:Pharmacists; D024382:Professional Role