一般用医薬品販売制度改革に対する薬学生,薬剤師,一般消費者の意識比較に関する調査

The over-the-counter (OTC) drug sales system has been deregulated in accordance with the revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law since June,2009.With the revision,OTC drugs are now classified according to 3 levels of risk and a new qualification for the registration of drug sellers was established.In this study,we surveyed pharmacy students,pharmacists in hospitals and drugstores,and the general consuming public regarding their views on the revision of the OTC drug sales system in 2008 before it was revised.The views of students and pharmacists were almost the same except for those on the relief system for injury to health about which students had little idea.The survey also found that pharmacists placed emphasis on drug adverse effect information and cautions in use when they sold OTC drugs,while the consuming public focused on drug efficacy when they bought them.The results of our survey suggested that views on OTC drugs differed depending on the standpoint of the person.Therefore,in order to play an important role in self-medication,pharmacists needed to acquire the communication skills necessary for providing the public not only with the information that they want but also the information that they need to have.