• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.119-126
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• 2017

Background: As the demands of pharmacist's role and quality performance have increased, the verification of pharmacist's ability has been required. In this study, we aimed to select appropriate items for assessment of pharmacist's knowledge, attitude and performance. Methods: Based on the pharmacist job analysis, we selected duties and tasks in consideration of applying pharmacy practical examination through brainstorming of internal researchers and group discussion with experts. Survey was conducted to evaluate the tasks according to the criteria detailed below: Realistic, Understandable, Measurable, Behavioral and Achievable (RUMBA). The subjects included professors at colleges of pharmacy and instructors of institutional or community pharmacy settings. Results: Nine duties including 41 tasks were drawn for the survey through primary internal researchers. Of the 90 respondents, 95.6% were professors or preceptors who was engaged in practical training, and 62.2% had more than five years of practical experience. As a result of survey and discussion with expert panel, selected seven duties were selected as followings: 'Patient (customer) reception', 'Drug preparation and distribution', 'Patient care', 'Administration', 'Patient counseling', 'Non-prescription medication counseling', and 'Provision of drug information'. The final 20 tasks from seven duties were chosen to assess skills that a pharmacist should be able to perform. Conclusion: This is the first study to select the items that can be included in pharmacist practical examination in the future, based on the RUMBA criteria. As a next step, it is necessary to study how to implement these items.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.378-386
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• 2014

Topical agents including of steroids are easily exposed to Korean patients in community setting. Those topical agents must be use cautiously because can cause adverse drug reaction unlike other oral medication. We evaluate the using pattern topical agents of Korean in community setting. We performed a questionnaire survey in three different pharmacies (general community pharmacy, dermatology clinic oriented pharmacy, general hospital oriented pharmacy) and in three university town. The survey asked necessity of topical agents, the number of applications per day, application period, site, and exist of steroids ingredient, etc. Total 330 people was participated in the survey from May 1st to July 31st, 2014. We analysed the survey by the frequency of each question and cross-analysis of the compliance between general public and pharmacy groups. In results, Korean people used topical agents for sudden skin diseases (66.9%), was gotten by dermatologist's prescription (89.1%), and did not know their diagnosis (39.2%). The people applied topical agents on face (22.3%), less one half FTU (finger tip unit) per application (61.9%), less than one week (62.9%). Though they was received drug education from pharmacist (52.2%), did not heard about adverse effects (78.4%). And compliance of applied times in pharmacy group was higher than in-non-pharmacy group (56% vs 38%, p=0.002). The highest compliance between 3 pharmacy subgroup was general community pharmacy (76.3% vs 61.6%, 61.2%, p=0.039). Compliance of applied duration was no difference between groups. Majority of respondents did not know diversity of ingredients, potency, application area of topical steroids, and replied to feel some vague reluctance and to think so dangerous about topical steroids. In conclusion, Korean people in community use topical agents well but still some exposed to risk from topical agents.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.63-69
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the difference between male and female in some clinically meaningful aspects and to prevent intentional poisoning in children and adolescents. Methods: Retrograde medical records review of patients who visited the emergency department of two secondary hospitals for drug ingestion from March 2010 through March 2013 was performed. Unintentional ingestion or ingestion by others was excluded. Results: A total of 138 cases were reported, male 25.4% (n=35), female 74.6% (n=103). The reason for poisoning was intentional in 132 cases (95.7%) and misuse in six cases (4.3%). In female patients, non-prescription drugs was the most common cause of intentional poisoning (68.9%). Male patients tend to use life substances for intentional poisoning more frequently (20.0%) than female (3.9%). Seven male patients and 12 female patients had previous psychiatric history and 34.3% of male and 41.7% of female were consulted to the psychiatric department. Conclusion: Female adolescents are more likely to ingest drugs intentionally for suicide attempt than males of comparable ages. The drugs they ingested were, in many cases, obtained with ease from the drug store nearby and, remarkably, most of the drugs they obtained in that way were acetaminophen-containing. This suggests that some guidelines or control in the pharmacy that restrict children or adolescents from obtaining potentially or possibly life-threatening drugs might be necessary. In addition, education regarding drugs is thought to be necessary in school for teenagers as they tend to misuse them with incorrect acknowledgement.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.159-164
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• 2010

Radiofrequency ablation (RA) is being used to manage atrial fibrillation (AF) with patients failed at the $1^{st}$-line anti-arrhythmic medications. Patients undergoing this procedure are at increased risk of thromboembolism after ablation, and anticoagulation management surrounding the ablation remains controversial. Although no conclusive recommendations can be made, published guidelines and data support therapeutic anticoagulation with warfarin. The purpose of this study was to analyze effectiveness of current therapy and to find factors fluctuate International Normalized Ratio (INR) values in patients undergone RA followed by anticoagulation service (ACS). Retrospective review was conducted utilizing database in a hospital. Among 110 patients under warfarin around ablation between January 2006 to September 2007, 54 patients were selected and allocated into 2 groups: Group A included 47 who discontinued warfarin after ablation, while 7 in B continued the medication. Information on demographics, amount and length of warfarin dosing, INR values and measuring frequencies, and the causing factors on INR fluctuation were abstracted. Differences were analyzed using chi-squared test, Fisher's Exact test, and unpaired Student t-test. Mean amount of warfarin before and after surgery was 4.0 mg, 4.1 mg in Group A and was 5.1 mg, 4.6 mg in Group B, respectively. Average duration of warfarin doing before ablation was 73.7 days in Group A, 129.9 days in B with no significant difference (p = 0.312). The duration time of warfarin on groups after ablation lasted several months. The number of checking INRs was 4.1 and 7.6, respectively. Inter-individual variability of INR fluctuations were $2.1{\pm}0.6$ in Group A and $2.2{\pm}0.7$ in B which were not significantly different (p = 0.062). 164 cases of decreased INR were: 'omission in taking medication, stressfulness and headache, 'increased intake of high vitamin K foods', 'lifestyle change of increased physical activities', and 'increase of food-intakes'. To the contrary, 36 cases of increased INR were: 'reduce of food-intake', 'use of non-prescription drugs', 'reduction in physical activities', and 'excessive restriction on food-intake', consecutively. In conclusion, the study validated therapeutic outcomes of RA patients who we treated with standard guideline and demonstrated 9 factors of INR fluctuations in the patient. A well-trained, pharmacist-monitored anticoagulation service could reduce the risk of adverse effects and prevent complications in patients with AF around RA operation.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.447-460
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• 2013

Dietary supplement use is prevalent and represents an important source of nutrition. This study was conducted in order to assess the dietary maximum exposure of vitamins and minerals from various sources including regular diet, vitamin mineral supplements for non-prescription drug (VMS-NPD), vitamin mineral supplements for health functional foods (VMS-HFF), and fortified foods (FF). A total of 1,407 adolescent boys and girls attending middle or high schools were chosen from various cities and rural communities in Korea. Users of vitamin and mineral supplements (n = 60, 15-18 years of age) were chosen from the above 1,407 students. Intake of vitamins and minerals from a regular diet and FF was assessed by both food record method and direct interview for three days of two weekdays and one weekend, and those from VMS-NPD and VMS-HFF were assessed by both questionnaire and direct interview, and compared with the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) and the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for Korean adolescents. Daily average exposure range of vitamins and minerals from a regular diet was 0.3 to 4.4 times of the RNI. Some subjects had an excessive exposure to the UL in the following areas: from regular diets, vitamin A (1.7%) and niacin (5.0%); from only VMS-NPD, vitamin C (9.1%) and iron (5.6%); and from only VMS-HFF, niacin (8.6%) > vitamin $B_6$ (7.5%) > folic acid (2.9%) > vitamin C (2.3%). Nutrients of daily total intake from regular diet, VMS-NPD, VMS-HFF, and FF higher than the UL included nicotinic acid for 33.3% of subjects, and, then, in order, vitamin C (26.6%) > vitamin A (13.3%), iron (13.3%) > zinc (11.7%) > calcium (5.0%) > vitamin E (1.7%), vitamin $B_6$ (1.7%). Thus, findings of this study showed that subjects may potentially be at risk due to overuse of supplements, even though most of them took enough vitamins and minerals from their regular diet. Therefore, we should encourage adolescents to have sound health care habits through systematic and educational aspects.