• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.507-513
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors affecting financial performance of community pharmacies after the implementation of the new drug policy in Korea: separation of drug prescription and dispensing (SPD). The online survey questionnaires were sent to the active pharmacists of the total 20,633 community pharmacies in Korea and 1,147 pharmacists responded to the survey (the response rate was 5.5%). The questionnaire asked simple financial data in order to compare their financial performances before and after the policy. With the SPSS package (version 12.0), two levels of data analysis were used: 1) descriptive statistics to see the financial status of the pharmacies; and 2) multiple regression analysis to find the factors. {or A multiple regression method was used for the data analysis.} The finding illustrated that the average net benefit of the pharmacies was 4,870 thousand won in August 2006, and the major factors affecting the net benefit were the location of pharmacy (geographical proximity to medical institutions), number of prescriptions, drug management services for patients, chain pharmacy membership. The findings of this study suggest that service improvement for patients, revitalization of non-prescription drug sales, professional management will contribute to promote community based pharmacy business.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.114-118
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• 2006

Depression is a very difficult disease to be cured because several nervous systems are involved. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of Keum-Ryung-Ja-San (KRJS), a traditional herbal prescription, on depressive behaviors in mice using the forced swimming test. KRJS was given 1 h prior to the forced swimming test (50, 100, 200, an400 mg/kg, p.o.). The duration of immobility time in the forced swimming test was significantly reduced by KRJS treatment (200 mg/kg, P<0.05) and similar effects were observed with a classical antidepressant, imipramine (15 mg/kg, i.p.). With subchronic administrations of KRJS and its constituents at several doses for 1 week, a decreased duration of immobility time was observed with KRJS and Corydalis ternata (200 mg/kg, p.o. P<0.05). These results suggest that KRJS may have antidedpressive activities and CT may contribute to the antidepressive activity of KRJS.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.66-71
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• 2021

Recent healthcare environments have characteristics of expanding the scope of healthcare-impacting healthcare, complexity resulting from diversification of components, and accelerating the pace of change. Drugs are used for the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of diseases, so they can inevitably cause harm, while they have efficacy and effectiveness, which are key elements of health recovery. Therefore, many countries regulate permits for safe and effective medicines, and also designate essential drugs directly related to life as pay targets and guarantee health insurance. Especially Pharmacist relying on manpower for composition medicine is liable for mal-manufacture due to combination of toxic medical substances or other chemical usage. In this paper, we focus on using Kiosk and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for automated pharmacy to level up medical service and create labor friendly environment for pharmacist themselves through maintenance of prescription data and automated manufacturing solution. Presentation of drug substances and precautions will lead to efficient drug prescription and prevent misuse of information while auto manufacturing system efficiently maintain labor force and raise patient satisfaction level by reduction of waiting time.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.24-39
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• 2000

This paper aims to analyze the effects that marketing mix variables have on the marketing performance of pharmaceutical manufacturers. It examines how product characteristics, price, marketing channel and promotion effort influence the sales and market share of anti-ulcer drugs in the markets for clinics and hospitals separately. Empirical results from 29 products of anti-ulcer drugs show that sales in hospitals are affected by the profit per prescription to the physician, brand name drugs relative to generics, and the age of ingredients since its introduction to the markets. Profit per prescription to the hospital, relative price, age of ingredients and promotion effort have positive effects on the market share.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.107-111
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• 2014

Unused medication disposal is a problem due to the cost of disposing as well as potential risk of inadvertent dosing. Investigating medication returns is expected to suggest areas for targeting interventions to reduce medication waste. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine types of medications and identify the expiration date of the medications returned to the community pharmacies through "Drug-Take Back" program. Method: From October 10, 2012 to November 14, 2012, the medications returned to the 58 community pharmacies in Korea were examined. Results: A total of 22,160 g of pill medications were collected; 52.8% for prescription drugs and 47.2% for non-prescription drugs, respectively. The weight of the expired pill medications was more than 5 times that of the non-expired pill medications. On the other hand, 6,168 ml of liquid medications were returned; 80.0% for prescription medication and 20.0% for non-prescription medications, respectively. Of the total oral liquid medications, the volume of the expired medications was more than 5 times that of the non-expired medications. Conclusion: The majority of medications returned to the community pharmacies were prescription drugs rather than non-prescription drugs. In addition, most of the drugs were expired when they returned.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.327-335
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• 2007

This study was to evaluate economic impact of a comprehensive pharmaceutical care intervention provided by community pharmacists on drug-related morbidity and mortality in the elderly population, in a societal perspective. Clinical outcomes of pharmaceutical care included compliance increase, inappropriate medication discontinuation, and subsequent drug-related morbidity and mortality reduction. Economic outcomes included cost savings from direct medical costs reduction such as medication and healthcare resource utilization. Input costs for pharmaceutical care included pharmacist time and computerized prescription review supporting program costs. Model parameters of outcomes were derived from published literatures, and costs were from literatures and health insurance statistical data in Korea. Annual costs and benefits were estimated in the year 2005. Current usual care and standardized pharmaceutical care required 0.3 and 2.0 hours per year respectively, for elderly outpatient using average 4.4 prescription drugs per visit and average annual frequency of 17.8 pharmacy visits. Comprehensive pharmaceutical care provided to overall elderly outpatients at community pharmacies would have cost of \74,994 mil. and benefit of \357,002 mil. per year. Benefit:cost ratio was 4.8:1 and net benefit was \282,008 mil/year. It was corresponded to net benefit of \73,816/year for individual elderly patient. In addition, pharmaceutical care was estimated to reduce 1,531 drug-related deaths/year. Conclusively this study, a first attempt in Korea to evaluate an economic value of pharmaceutical care at community pharmacies, proved that it was a cost-effective intervention having significant economic benefit.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.37 no.2 s.145
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• pp.103-109
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• 2006

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) formation plays an important role in the progression of diabetic complications. To develop effective herbal formulations with suppression of diabetic nephropathy, a common complication in diabetic patients, we evaluated inhibitory activities of KIOM-79, a new herbal prescription, on the formation of AGEs using in vitro and in vivo model systems. Effects of KIOM-79 on the expression of AGEs, RAGEs (receptor for Advanced glycation end products), type IV collagen and renal $TGF-{\beta}1$ mRNA was also examined in streptozotocon (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated orally with KIOM-79 (250 and $500\;kg^{-1}$ once a day for 13 weeks). In vitro system KIOM-79 suppressed the formation of AGEs $(18.12\;{\mu}g/ml)$. In STZ-induced diabetic rats showing accumulation of AGE and RAGE, pathological examination revealed that KIOM-79 prevented AGE and RAGE deposition in the kidney. In STZ induced diabetic rats, the expansion of mesangial matrix and the glomerular tufts seemed to be larger than those in normal rats. Howεver, after administration with KIOM-79, mesangial metrix and glomerular volume were decreased, and overexpression of type IV collagen was also decreased. Overexpression of renal $TGF-{\beta}1$ mRNA was inhibited significantly. These results suggest that the KIOM-79 might be an effective herbal prescription to prevent or alleviate the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2015

Background: The recent change in pharmaceutical education system following the paradigm shift to patient-oriented pharmacy service requires an in-depth discussion to reorganize a future direction and establish a basis for maximizing social values of community pharmacy service. Objective: This study was conducted to review the current status of community pharmacy service provision in Korea based on published literatures. Methods: The electronic databases of National Digital Science Library and Electronic National Assembly Library were used to search the journal articles and dissertation papers. A search term "community pharmacy" was used and the published period was limited to papers published after year 2001, when the legal separation of prescribing and dispensing was implemented. Relevant study reports were also searched manually. Information about pharmacy service provision and study outcomes were retrieved from the selected papers, and classified by predefined individual service scope. Results: A total 33 papers reporting services provided by community pharmacies were selected (journal article 11, dissertation paper 17, and study report 5). Pharmacy services identified in these papers could be classified into prescription dispensing service, pharmaceutical care service, self medication service, other products service, and health promotion service. Twenty papers reported prescription dispensing services, three papers reported pharmaceutical care service, and only two papers reported health promotion service. Current community pharmacy services are highly dependent on prescription drugs while expanded services such as pharmaceutical care and health promotion are peripheral. Most prevalent research topic was medication counseling service (18 papers), reflecting that community pharmacists generally consider it to be the most important and fundamental service. Overall, current pharmacy services are very limited and focus on prescription dispensing service. Conclusion: At this point of time requiring expansion and quality improvement of community pharmacy services, we suggest further lively discussion to strengthen pharmacist's functional identity and set conditions for providing socially expected services.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.177-188
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• 1975

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 2011

Objective: To examine the drug use (prescribing) pattern of serious drug-drug interactions (DDIs, contraindicated drug interactions) using real world data. Prescription patterns were examined in terms of dispensing types. Method: Retrospective drug utilization review (DUR) study was performed. One hundred and six datasets of serious DDIs (DDI pairs) were determined among DDI datasets that Ministry of Health & Welfare announced for the DUR system from 2004 to 2005. Electronically transacted ambulatory patients' prescription database to Health Insurance Assessment and Review Services (HIRA) from July, 2005 to June, 2006 was collected with personal information deidentified and analyzed in terms of types of dispensing as a contributing factor. Results: After prescription data analysis per each patient, total number of DDI cases using 95 DDI pairs was 5,511, which accounted for 2.6 cases per patients. DDI cases between two drugs from each of community pharmacy dispensing- type prescription were considerable (63% vs. 24% in those from each of in-institutional dispensing-type prescription and vs. 13% in those from a community pharmacy dispensing-type prescription and an in-institutional dispensingtype prescription). Conclusions: DDI cases from different prescribers were found to be significant. Thus, the concurrent DUR process between prescriptions from different physicians and institutions should be implemented for the safe drug use.