In October 2015, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan newly included "health support functions" and "advanced pharmaceutical control functions" as part of "primary-care pharmacy" in the pharmacy vision for patients. "Health support functions" were defined as recommending that patients seek medical consultations, introducing them to relevant medical institutions, and contributing to disease prevention and health support among local residents, apart from health counseling and the consolidation of a framework for the appropriate selection and supply of and advice on pharmacist-only over-the-counter medications, etc. On the other hand, the term "advanced pharmaceutical control functions" is presumed to imply meeting the needs for advanced pharmaceutical control, e.g., cooperation with specialized medical institutions in addressing adverse reactions caused by anticancer drugs and support of the selection of anti-HIV drugs. However, the details remain unknown. Since the opening of the Akebono pharmacy group 22 years ago, our staff members have visited home-care patients, controlled and guided the use of pharmaceuticals, and supported all types of home-care patients including those with end-stage cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, undergoing home parenteral nutrition, and pediatric home-care patients. We have experienced many cases requiring sophisticated pharmaceutical control, e.g., pain control with opioids, sterile preparation of transfusions, and supply of special medical devices. We would like to consider the requirements for pharmacy-provided home healthcare that depends heavily on medical treatment as one advanced pharmaceutical control function.
Keywords: health support function; pharmaceutical control function; pharmacy vision.