Investigation of the "medication notebook" about its utilization in patients and its evaluation by doctors in Iwai City

We performed an investigation of medication notebook utilization among patients in Iwai City and conducted a questionnaire survey of physicians to evaluate its usefulness. The patients who used our insurance pharmacies for dispensing prescriptions were queried about six items, i.e., age, types of acute or chronic disease, possession of a medication notebook, efficient use of a medication notebook, consultation at two or more medical institutions, and efficient use of the medication notebook at the other medical institutions. The medication notebook possession rates were 73.1% and 94.6% among those aged 69 yeas or younger and among those aged 70 yeas or older, respectively. Furthermore, one patients who unified their drug information from two or more medical institutions into one medication notebook accounted for 55.4% and 73.2% of patients with chronic diseases aged 69 years or younger and those aged 70 years or older, respectively. As a result of the questionnaire survey, 92.3%, 76.9%, and 69.2% of physicians evaluated the medication notebook favorably in preventing duplicate prescriptions, avoiding drug interactions, and deferminins side effects due to prescriptions from other medical institutions, respectively. To increase the effective use of the medication notebook in patients with chronic diseases aged 69 years or younger, we need to promote an educational campaign instructing them in its clinical usefulness.