改正薬事法施行以前における一般用医薬品とセルフメディケーションに関する一般消費者の意識調査

Abstract

With a view to ensuring that medical expenditure is used in the most effective manner in Japan,self-medication and nonprescription drugs are beginning to receive more attention.When the revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law went into effect on June 1,2009,the system for the sale of nonprescription drugs changed greatly,and before it was enacted,we conducted a survey of approximately 1,000 consumers regarding the new system for the sale of non-prescription drugs and self-medication at drugstores.When slightly ill or lightly injured,67.0% of the respondents tried self-medication.On the other hand,31.3% decided to go to a hospital.Fifty-eight point one percent of the respondents replied that they actively sought information on drugs from experts at drugstores,such as pharmacists and registered salesclerks.It was clear that they had high expectations regarding the advice on selfmedication they could receive from pharmacists and registered salesclerks.In spite of this,however,the most common source of information on drugs and health care was the Internet ; not pharmacists.The reasons respondents sought such information from the Internet was they had no time and pharmacists were not available at the drugstores they visited.To expand the use of self-medication,we believe that it is necessary for pharmacists and registered salesclerks to make people more aware of the importance of gaining information on non-prescription drugs and that pharmacists and registered salesclerks are a valuable source of such information.