• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.10
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• pp.875-884
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• 2020

Thailand has a rapidly growing pharmaceutical sector, which is the eighth largest in the Asia-Pacific region and one of the largest and most developed among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. This study examines how to provide the most appropriate approach to enhance Thailand's pharmaceutical services to dispense medicine to end consumers. The main objective is to determine the most appropriate corporate image for Thai Pharmacy Retail Stores (PRSs) for entering the ASEAN market community. An exploratory mixed-method design characterized by qualitative and quantitative phases of data collection and analysis and the linking of data from these two separate data strands was adopted to conduct an in-depth interview with pharmacists and the owner of pharmacy retail stores as well as 405 respondents who had visited a pharmacy retail store and interacted with pharmacists during the previous year. The multiple linear regression (MLR) was applied to analyze the relative influences of perceived service quality and the cultural dimension on the corporate image. Findings reveal that the perceived service quality and cultural dimension contribute 50% towards the corporate image, and the perceived service quality had more effect than cultural dimension. This study mainly focuses on PRSs in Thailand, while the findings show other analyses concerning how to successfully create and promote an effective PRS image for ASEAN markets.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.195-202
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• 2011

Generic medication market has been increased for economic reasons in Korea. Health authorities worldwide recommend the use of generic medications nowadays. However, patients in Korea are not familiar with the generic medications and considerable percent of those do not know the definition of the generic medications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate adults' knowledge and perception on the generic medications at community pharmacies in Korea. This study was a 11-questionnaire survey conducted from August 9, 2010 to August 27, 2010. Of the 204 respondents, 63 (30.9%) responded that they knew what a generic medication was, but only 16 (25.4%) of those answered that generic medications had the same efficacy as brand medications. When pharmacists were the source of generic medication information, more patients reported having knowledge about the definition of generic medications correctly compared with other sources. Patients with negative experience with generic medications within 6 months were more reluctant to generic substitution suggested by a pharmacist than those with positive experience. Based on the results of this study, further studies should be conducted to establish the best way to provide generic medication information for patients.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.208-222
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• 2014

Pharmacy practice experiences play a central role in improving the professional abilities and roles of student pharmacists in the changed '2+4'-year curricula of Korean pharmacy schools. For the first 3 years, the students usually learn theoretical areas, and for the last year, they apply learned knowledge to actual pharmacy practice environments. Especially, in order for community pharmacy practice experiences to become firmly established, it is important to evaluate students' feedbacks of community pharmacy practice experiences. However, there have been little studies regarding this area in Korea. This study was to analyze pharmacy students' perceptions and evaluations after community pharmacy practice experiences. The self-reported questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale was utilized to collect data from the pharmacy students completing community pharmacy practice experiences. Total 62 students responded to the survey questionnaires. The average of students' evaluations of preceptors for overall evaluation items was 4.31 whereas that of student evaluations of practice sites for them was 4.03. The self-evaluations of students' expertises were mostly positive except for that of populations care. The evaluation item 'I believe this experience will help me be a better pharmacist' received the highest satisfaction. According to the results regarding open-ended questions, the students learned the needs for academic motivations and self-developments, and they thought that the curriculum should be standardized and systematized in order to improve contents for community pharmacy practice experiences. Furthermore, based on these results, the guidelines of community pharmacy practice experiences should be modified, and researches on the validation and evaluations of the modified guidelines should be implemented.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.293-300
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• 2021

Background: This study aims to determine whether the new 6-year pharmacy curriculum is designed to help students in their career path based on the employment status of the current 2+4 pharmacy school graduates. Methods: An online survey was conducted to the pharmacists who graduated from Woosuk University College of Pharmacy between 2015 and 2021. The survey questions included the current employment status of the graduates and their feedback on the clinical pharmacy curriculum at Woosuk University. Results: There were a total of 104 graduates who responded to the survey out of 312 graduates of whom the school had current contact information. Most of the graduates are currently working in a community pharmacy (63.5%), followed by hospital pharmacy (27.9%) and pharmaceutical industry (4.8%). Although most graduates were satisfied with clinical pharmacy courses at our college, many thought there needs to be a reinforcement or improvement in the curriculum, including pharmacotherapy and pharmacy practice experiences as well as social pharmacy courses. Conclusion: Based on our study, clinical and social pharmacy are the courses that teach the knowledge and skills required in community and hospital pharmacy and yet, are most in need of improvement. As most graduates work in a community or hospital pharmacy, it is necessary to improve our pharmacy curriculum so that they can learn and demonstrate their clinical skills effectively.

• 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.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.88-108
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• 2001

Separation of prescribing and dispensing practice in Korea has changed the service pattern of the pharmacy. The prescription dispensing activities, however, are concentrated excessively on the pharmacies near hospitals or clinics. Thus this study was conducted to estimate the number of optimal dispensing cases for the community pharmacy. Forty-six pharmacies were selected using systematic stratified random sampling method, and ninety-five pharmacists were interviewed on their workload of dispensing and other activities at pharmacies. One hundred and seventy prescriptions were chosen based on the length of drug administration and drug dosage form, and the dispensing time was measured by time-watch method. Also pharmacy benefit claims data were analyzed to identify the characteristics of the pharmacies which performed more than optimal dispensing cases. According to the study results, the average work time per pharmacist per day was found to be 10hours 32minutes and the dispensing activities occupied 7hours 36minutes. It took 5.72minutes on average for each dispensing case. The optimal dispensing case was estimated as 75 cases under the condition of 10hours 32minutes work time and 6% allowance rate. Even though the pharmacies near hospitals or clinics participated dispensing services actively, only pharmacies near clinics dealt with more than optimal dispensing cases. For the pharmacies near hospitals they dealt with less than optimal cases, but drug administration period per prescription was almost 3 times longer than that of pharmacies near clinics. Thus the intensity of dispensing activities such as drug administration period is to be considered to estimate optimal dispensing cases more accurately.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.471-479
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to investigate the best way that Oriental medicine contributes for activation of pharmacy management after the separation of prescribing and dispensing practice since July 2000. In order to investigate current pharmacy conditions for handling of Oriental medicine and many problems for administering the Oriental medicine to patients, a questionnaire was written with a list of questions related to pharmacy management with Oriental medicine, and given to 58 subjects via fax or personal visit during the period of April 21 to 30, 2003. The research results was as follows; In th 58 subjects, 45 subjects (77.6%) were pharmacists with a licence for dispensing Oriental medicine. 70.7% of subjects most likely preferred to extract granule as administering type of oriental medicine. About the motivation using Oriental medicine, the reason for activation of pharmacy management was 39.7%, second, the reason for resolving the limitation of treatment over western medicine was 25.9%. Oriental medicine for patients was mainly administered by recommendation with pharmacist (65.5%). In comparison with after and before the separation of prescribing and dispensing, 51.7% of subjects answered that sale volume was decreased after the separation. Concerning the ratio of total sales volume to Oriental medicine within 5 years, 50% of subjects expected that sales volume will increase positively. About treating Oriental medcine, 34.5% of subjects thought the problem is the regulation by limiting 100 kinds of formulary. The most important factor for increasing Oriental medicine selling amount was continueous education for various information of oriental medicine in case of 44.8% of sujects. The best pharmacy to handle oriental medicine was community pharmacy (36.2%). It was expressed the reason why many pharmacists have not been treated oriental medicine because lots of time needs for dispensing prescription from clinics in these 4 years after the separation of prescribing and dispensing. These results lead to the conclusion that the Oriental medicine at pharmacy will greatly increase within 5 years and will be very important portion for pharmacy management.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2013

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patterns of Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs and their interactions with prescription drugs in adults visiting a community pharmacy. Method: The subjects were 151 adults aged over 20 years visiting a community pharmacy in Asan-si from December 16th 2011 to February 1st 2012. We used a survey questionnaire. The survey inquired about the prevalence and the details of any OTC drug use and the characteristics of the study subjects. The drug interaction classification system from Lexicomp's Lexi-interact data fields was used to identify OTC drugs likely to have clinically significant interactions with prescription drugs. Results: The patterns of OTC drug use were related to thirties (from 30 to 40 years old), female gender, higher education, non-smoking, sometimes use of alcohol, and self-perceived normal health status. The most commonly used OTC drug category was antipyretic-analgesics (n=104, 53.3%), and the most commonly used ingredient was acetaminophen (n=67, 64.4%). The biggest motivation for taking OTC drugs was suggestion by pharmacists, reported by 55.6%. After reviewing each patient's prescription drugs and OTC drugs, 14 patients (36.8%) of 38 patients using prescription drugs were taking drug combinations with potential for clinically significant interactions. The concomitant use of OTC drugs with prescription drugs may lead to increased potentially harmful interactions. Conclusion: It is suggested that health-care professionals should be more aware of the potential and possible interactions and take into better account their patients' OTC drug use.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.265-291
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• 2011

Changes in a drug's availability from prescription only to over-the-counter (OTC) status is of concern to physicians from both public health and individual patient perspectives. Government has generally been supportive of changes in medications from prescription(Rx) to over-the-counter (OTC) status in Korea, however, recognizing that there are both benefits and risks to any health care intervention, health care professionals are conservative in implementing changes to either the process or structure of health care. Changes in status of a drug from Rx to OTC can represent a change in both structure and process. Cost and convenience seem to be major factors in determining whether, given the choice, patients purchase a medicine over the counter or obtain it on prescription. With current arrangements, exemption from prescription charges provides an incentive to continue to obtain products on NHS prescription even when they are available over the counter. There is therefore no simple relation between the availability of over the counter medicines and the level of prescribing of deregulated products. The appropriate use of over the counter medicines-particularly those that have only recently been deregulated-places a burden of care on community pharmacists and calls for closer working relationships with general practitioners. In particular, systems for referral and for recording details of both prescribed and over the counter medicines need to be developed, and a direct route needs to be established for community pharmacists to report adverse drug reactions to over the counter products. Reclassification of prescription medicines-by making them available through pharmacies without a prescription-provides the opportunity for consumers to purchase a wider range of medicinal products without making a demand on NHS resources. There is, however, no simple relation between availability of over the counter medicines and demand for NHS prescriptions. In the late 1980s the UK government fuelled the over the counter market by making it easier to reclassify certain medicines from prescription only status to allow over the counter sale in pharmacies. To explore the influence of deregulation of medicines on NHS prescribing, this article presents analyses of consumer behaviour in using medicines and prescribers' attitudes to over the counter medication and collates findings from research. Policy makers should be aware that patients' expectations in relation to OTC medicines may be in conflict with evidence-based practice.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.303-311
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• 2022

Recently the telemedicine platform firms which have been temporarily permitted since COVID-19 outbreak have increasingly provided online prescription drugs delivery, causing concerns among incumbent providers of medicine, some of whom began to take aggressive actions again them. In this study, using game theoretic market entry - deterrence model, we show that although the incumbent medicine provider can effectively deter entry by the telemedicine platform firms by its preemptive action, accommodation could be a optimal action when telemedicine platform firms already have penetrated the market with their being permitted to do business due to the COVID-19. However, for the incumbent to cooperate for the successful change in the retail market for medicines, policies like placing a ceiling on the maximum number of taking prescriptions by the pharmacists a day in the telemedince platform network, providing favorable exposure of community pharmacists on the telemedicine platform user interface, and allowing community pharmacies to participate as shareholders of the telemedicine platform firms in its initial public opening of capital, are suggested.