Reduction in particle size of hydrophobic drugs has attracted interest as a way to improve their dissolution and absorption properties.1-4) Grinding is one of the methods used to reduce the size of drug crystals. Cogrinding of a hydrophobic drug with a hydrophilic polymer and surfactant appears to be an effective method for the preparation of drug nanoparticles and stable nanosuspensions.5-8) Using a drug/ polyvinylpyrrolidone K17 (PVP K17)/sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) ternary ground mixture (GM) at a weight ratio of 1/3/1, more than 20 kinds of drugs have been effectively reduced to nano-order particle size.6) When a probucol/PVP K12/SDS GM suspension was orally administered to rats, plasma concentration increased as particle size decreased.

We have held practical classes called chozaigijutsu-konwakai(Konwakai) for pharmacists working in drugstores every month since December 1994. Konwakai is composed of lectures and practice. The practice is carried out for pharmacists to obtain a better understanding of prescriptions and compounding them in exercises. In this study, we analyzed the answers to questionnaires distributed at the end of each konwakai to all participants. It was found that the age of participants as well as the length of compounding experience varied markedly, indicating that pharmacists of various generations are interested in konwakai. Regarding the contents of lectures and practice, the answers indicated that the practice was particularly useful, suggesting the importance of exercise for learning techniques in compounding. Since there were many requests for consultations on routine work, frequent communications between pharmacists in the hospital and drugstores appears necessary. In conclusion, regular meetings including practical classes such as konwakai are very important for pharmacists in drugstores that receive prescriptions from hospitals. Further eŠorts to improve the konwakai should be maid in the future.

Pharmacists began preparing drug solutions intraoperatively for postoperative analgesia in the Department of Surgery at Chiba University Hospital from May 2014. To verify the usefulness of pharmacists preparing these drug solutions, we conducted a questionnaire survey among 51 anesthesiologists and received 44 responses (recovery rate 86.3％). Burden on the anesthesiologists was signiˆcantly reduced both temporally and mentally when the pharmacists prepared the drug solutions compared with when the anesthesiologists did (p ＜ 0.01). The anesthesiologists' degree of anxiety about sometimes having to prepare drug solutions alone without any conˆrmation was also signiˆcantly reduced when pharmacists prepared them (p ＜ 0.01), which implies the need for a double-check system. In addition, 88.6％ of anesthesiologists said that they were reassured with preparations done by the pharmacists under a sterile environment using a clean bench. Overall, 88.6％ of anesthesiologists responded that they were satisˆed with the preparation of drug solutions by pharmacists. Based on the results of this survey, pharmacists' preparation of drug solutions for postoperative analgesia is considered to be useful in ensuring the quality and safety of medical care because it reduced anesthesiologists' work to prepare the drug solutions, allowing them to concentrate on anesthesia and related work, it established a double-check system between the two staŠ teams, and it was done under a sterile environment.

To clarify the additional role of pharmacists in drug information services for out-patients in Chiba University Hospital, we investigated what kind of drug information was provided by physicians, and what kind of information was recognized by the out-patients. The drug informations which was explained by more than 80% physicians included the following : the effects of the drug, directions for use, adverse reactions and the prescribed period. In contrast, information concerning drug interactions was provided by only 30% of physicians. On the other hand, only 30 % of out-patients recognized that information concerning adverse reactions was provided by physicians, indicating a clear difference in the recognition of medical information between physicians and out-patients. In addition, information regarding drug interactions was also not well recognized by out-patients.Furthermore, the consultation counter for prescribing drugs, and medical information pamphlets which were provided by pharmacists at our hospital were also not well recognized by the out-patients.Based on such evidence, more drug information especially concerning drug interactions and adverse reactions, should be provided by pharmacists to ensove the appropriate use of drugs.