More prescription drugs are dispensed by pharmacists rather than doctors in response to government healthcare reform. However, the results of our preliminary survey suggested a hypothesis that patients were not always satisˆed with explanations provided by pharmacists upon dispensing, and therefore patient satisfaction might be enhanced if pharmacists spent more time on consultation services. The survey was conducted in 1,800 people. 321 people (17.8％) answered that pharmacist explanations were not su‹cient or that they expected further consultation with pharmacists. The most common reason why they did not ask for consultation was that other patients were waiting (41.7％). If up to 30-minute consultation service was available at a pharmacy where patient privacy was ensured, 898 people (49.9％) answered that they wanted to use the service. The average willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the service was 338 yen and the mean WTP was 400 yen. When those who answered 0 yen were excluded, the average was 386 yen and the mean was 400 yen. The online survey revealed that some patients were not satisˆed with pharmacist explanations upon dispensing, and that there was a need for consultation services at pharmacies. Many of the reasons why patients did not ask for consultation although they wanted to were attributable to pharmacies, and the survey results suggested a need for improvement in their services. In view of the WTP for the service, it is considered worthwhile to discuss the introduction of such a system for consultation services into dispensing fee.

IntroductionSince the enactment of the revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Act in Japan in 2009, self-medication practices have increased in the country. However, studies report that consumers pay little attention to the medication facts and risks indicated on the packages of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, which could be a potential risk. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital transformation of purchasing OTC medicines has progressed. As an appropriate design for the digital transformation is likely to improve consumers' literacy and them obtaining medical information, this study systematically examines Japanese consumers' attitudes toward the digital transformation of OTC medicine purchase behavior and its correlation to eHealth literacy, exploring an appropriate digital experience design in purchasing OTC medicine.MethodsParticipants from the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan participated in an online survey. Consumers' current behavior and preferences in accessing OTC medicine, receiving medication guidance, and obtaining medical information were examined. eHealth literacy was assessed using the J-eHEALS. Descriptive statistics, text mining, and thematic analysis were conducted to answer research questions.ResultsOver 89% of the respondents who had experience in purchasing OTC medicines preferred local pharmacies or stores rather than online purchasing, p < 0.001. Obtaining medicine guidance in pharmacies or stores was the main preference over other approaches, p < 0.001. Furthermore, most of the participants accepted selecting medicine on shelves and digital screens in-store. However, they were accustomed to using smartphones to obtain additional information at the pharmacy or drug store, p < 0.001; this behavior was positively correlated with eHealth literacy, p < 0.001.ConclusionsJapanese consumers are seeking a combination of conventional and digital behaviors for purchasing OTC medicine rather than opting for a particular method. Most consumers prefer purchasing and receiving instructions in-store while searching for additional decision-making information online. eHealth literacy is positively associated with digital behaviors of OTC medicine information acquisition but less associated with medicine purchases and selections. The hybrid digital experience design may enhance the OTC medicine purchase experience and reduce potential risks by providing appropriate information.

Packages of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines offer various labeling information such as drug name, instructions before use, and risk-ranking information. In order to evaluate consumer attention and eye-catching effectiveness of such labeling information, an eye-movement experiment and questionnaire survey using cold remedies and vitamin supplements were conducted. For the eye-movement experiment, eye fixation duration and sequence were measured for each aspect of labeling information. After the eye-movement experiment, a self-evaluation of the consumer's attention and the eye-catching effect of each aspect of labeling information were conducted through a questionnaire survey. The results from the eye-movement experiment and questionnaire survey showed that the drug name ranked the highest for attention and eye-catching effect whereas risk-related information such as instructions before use and risk-ranking information were poorly attended. Moreover, the analysis of consumer judgment regarding the risk ranking of medicines using the normalized rank method clarified that the risk-ranking label has little influence on the consumers' risk judgment. The influence of package design on consumers' risk judgement was discussed.

It has been recommended that active learning methods, such as team-based learning (TBL) and problem-based learning (PBL), be introduced into university classes by the Central Council for Education. As such, for the past 3 years, we have implemented TBL in a medical therapeutics course for 4-year students. Based upon our experience, TBL is characterized as follows: TBL needs fewer teachers than PBL to conduct a TBL module. TBL enables both students and teachers to recognize and confirm the learning results from preparation and reviewing. TBL grows students' responsibility for themselves and their teams, and likely facilitates learning activities through peer assessment.

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