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The role of pharmacists in the US that have advanced functions compared to the traditional pharmacists is based on the collaborative drug therapy management (CDTM). Recently in Japan, the importance of enhancing the team approach whose concept is to make the best use of the each health providers＇ expertise has been discussed in the health care society. As regards pharmacists, pharmacists＇ pivotal role in medication therapy management is in great demand in the discussion. On the other hand, pharmacists are more exposed to a litigation risk as pharmacists sometimes are sued for their medical negligence these days. In this manuscript, we conducted a literature and case review for pharmacist responsibility conducting the CDTM in the US. However, we could not find reports and cases, though a litigation risk for pharmacists has been enhanced with the pharmacist role expanding in the CDTM. Furthermore, we conducted a literature and case review for nurse practitioner (NP) as well. As a result, in some cases, NP＇s negligence was judged independently by the action of NP was whether appropriate or not with no consideration for physician＇s supervise, and the supervising or collaborating physician＇s negligence was judged according to the physician's action in the consultation is appropriate or not. As the number of litigation for NP increased, nurse societies raised so many opinions on how to judge appropriately such as which the standard of care (SOC) for physicians or for NPs was applicable and as whether a physician might have an expert witness qualification.

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Introduction: Pharmacists' role had been changed to be focused more as an expert on medication therapy such as collaborative drug therapy management in the US and supplemental prescriber and independent prescriber in the UK. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan published a notice, "Enhancing the team approach in health care system by the cooperation of heath care provider," that stated outlines about pharmacists' role as an expert on medication therapy. In this manuscript, we compare the regulations among the US, the UK, and Japan and discuss how Japanese pharmacists should conduct their expected role. Materials and Methods: Databases used to identify laws and regulations on the new pharmacists' role in the three countries are as follows; WestLaw ® for the US, the legistration.gov.uk for the UK, and "Database services of acts and regulations on health, labor and welfare" at the MHLW website for Japan. Results: Comparison on the laws and regulations shows each regulatory authority established each way to regulate the new pharmacists' role even though the role in each country is quite similar. In Japan, pharmacists have limited prescription rights by sharing the rights with the physician under the protocol within the Japanese team approach model, but the regulations are minimum. Discussion and Conclusions: The laws and regulations for the new pharmacists' role are broken away from sameness or identify among the three countries. In Japan, an individual pharmacist must build up strong credibility with the team members and the patient and must show his/her capability to them when playing the new pharmacists' role.