Articles

Pregabalin prescription for terminally ill cancer patients receiving specialist palliative care in an acute hospital

Pregabalin is recommended as an adjuvant analgesic for neuropathic cancer-related pain, and may be taken at all steps of the World Health Organization analgesic ladder. However, unlike opioids, pregabalin trea...

Authors: Ryo Yajima, Kazuaki Matsumoto, Yuya Ise, Norihito Suzuki, Yuta Yokoyama, Junko Kizu and Shiro Katayama

Effectiveness of activated carbon masks in preventing anticancer drug inhalation

The exposure of healthcare workers to anticancer drugs such as cyclophosphamide (CPA) is a serious health concern. Anticancer drug pollution may spread outside biological safety cabinets even when a closed sys...

Authors: Junya Sato, Atushi Kogure and Kenzo Kudo

Early rehospitalization after initial chronic kidney disease educational hospitalization relates with a multidisciplinary medical team

It is well-documented that chronic kidney disease (CKD) often results in end-stage renal failure and puts patients at extremely high risk for developing cardiovascular disease. Educational hospitalization at m...

Authors: Eiji Kose, Taesong An, Akihiko Kikkawa and Hiroyuki Hayashi

Application of ozone gas for decontamination of nucleoside anticancer drugs

Exposure to anticancer drugs is hazardous and may lead to chromosomal abnormalities and spontaneous abortion in healthcare workers. Guidelines recommend surface decontamination and cleaning in order to minimiz...

Authors: Ayumi Tsukamoto, Shunji Ishiwata, Asami Kajimoto, Ryusuke Murata, Rika Kitano, Tomomi Inoue and Takeshi Kotake

Validated determination method of tramadol and its desmethylates in human plasma using an isocratic LC-MS/MS and its clinical application to patients with cancer pain or non-cancer pain

This study aimed to develop a simultaneous determination method for tramadol and its desmethylates in human plasma using isocratic liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry and to validate it f...

Authors: Hironari Tanaka, Takafumi Naito, Yasuaki Mino and Junichi Kawakami

A novel predictive factor for the onset time of docetaxel-induced onychopathy: a multicenter retrospective study

Taxanes are known to cause onychopathy. Previous studies have reported the relationship between onychopathy and paclitaxel dosing intervals and cumulative doses. However, there are no studies of the predictive...

Authors: Hidenobu Takahata, Kouichi Tanabe, Akiyoshi Takaki, Tsuneaki Yamanouchi, Yasuhiko Mimura, Atsumi Nitta, Hatsuna Yasuda, Tatsuhiko Kashii and Isao Adachi

Correlation between blood magnesium and calcium concentration in patients treated with an anti-EGFR antibody

Hypomagnesemia is one of the characteristic side effects of the human anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies, cetuximab and panitumumab.

Authors: Toshiyasu Tsujii, Takafumi Ogaki, Kaori Nakae, Kiyotaka Imai, Daisuke Kise, Shoji Tada, Hiroki Ueda and Masahiro Moriyama

Plasma tenofovir trough concentrations are associated with renal dysfunction in Japanese patients with HIV infection: a retrospective cohort study

Plasma tenofovir (TFV) trough concentrations may be relevant for tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-induced renal dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between plasma TFV tro...

Authors: Yusuke Kunimoto, Hiroshi Ikeda, Satoshi Fujii, Manabu Kitagawa, Kieko Yamazaki, Hiromasa Nakata, Norimasa Noda, Tadao Ishida and Atsushi Miyamoto

Pharmaceutical studies on and clinical application of olanzapine suppositories prepared as a hospital preparation

A new formulation of olanzapine available for terminally ill patients is needed. Rectal administration using suppositories is an alternative for patients for whom administration via the oral route is not feasi...

Authors: Kazuaki Matsumoto, Satoru Kimura, Kenichi Takahashi, Yuta Yokoyama, Masayuki Miyazawa, Satoko Kushibiki, Morio Katamachi and Junko Kizu

Evaluation of pharmaceutical lifesaving skills training oriented pharmaceutical intervention

Many pharmacists are participating in team-based medical care in emergency hospitals. Therefore, there is a desperate need to improve the education system. In the present study, we provided a “pharmaceutical l...

Authors: Yoshito Zamami, Toru Imai, Masaki Imanishi, Kenshi Takechi, Naoko Shiraishi, Toshihiro Koyama, Hidenori Sagara, Yasukazu Shiino, Toshiaki Sendo and Keisuke Ishizawa

Predictors of the therapeutic effect of sivelestat in patients with acute lung injury associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome

Sivelestat, a neutrophil elastase inhibitor, was previously approved in Japan for the treatment of acute lung injury associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. However, sivelestat produced incons...

Authors: Takuma Ozawa, Kiyoshi Mihara and Nobuhiro Yasuno

Pharmacokinetics and dose adjustment of etoposide administered in a medium-dose etoposide, cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation regimen before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

We investigated the pharmacokinetics of etoposide (ETP) to reduce the inter-individual variations of ETP concentrations in patients with acute leukemia who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transpla...

Authors: Yuki Tazawa, Akio Shigematsu, Kumiko Kasashi, Junichi Sugita, Tomoyuki Endo, Takeshi Kondo, Takanori Teshima, Ken Iseki, Mitsuru Sugawara and Yoh Takekuma

Effect of vitamin K₂ on the anticoagulant activity of warfarin during the perioperative period of catheter ablation: Population analysis of retrospective clinical data

Catheter ablation is a non-medication therapy for atrial fibrillation, and during the procedure, warfarin is withdrawn in the preoperative period to prevent the risk of bleeding. In case of emergency, vitamin K₂ ...

Authors: Zhi Zhou, Ikuko Yano, Sumiko Odaka, Yosuke Morita, Satoshi Shizuta, Mamoru Hayano, Takeshi Kimura, Akinori Akaike, Ken-ichi Inui and Kazuo Matsubara

Genotype frequencies for polymorphisms related to chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in a Japanese population

Genotype frequencies for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)-related polymorphisms have not yet been reported for Japanese subjects.

Authors: Aya Goto, Haruka Kotani, Masayuki Miyazaki, Kiyofumi Yamada, Kazuhiro Ishikawa, Yasuhiko Shimoyama, Toshimitsu Niwa, Yoshinori Hasegawa and Yukihiro Noda

Elevated prothrombin time/international normalized ratio associated with concurrent administration of regorafenib and warfarin in a patient with advanced colorectal cancer

Regorafenib and its metabolites may inhibit the activities of several CYP or UDP-glucuronosyltransferase isoforms, including that of CYP2C9. Therefore, pharmacological agents that are CYP2C9 substrates may sho...

Authors: Hironori Kitade, Azusa Hiromasa-Yamasaki, Kengo Hokkoku, Mitsue Mori, Michio Watanabe, Masuo Nakai and Seiji Yano

Analysis of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are severe cutaneous adverse reactions associated with fatal disorders. Although many causes of SJS/TEN have been proposed, the time-to-onset...

Authors: Junko Abe, Ryogo Umetsu, Kanako Mataki, Yamato Kato, Natsumi Ueda, Yoko Nakayama, Yuuki Hane, Toshinobu Matsui, Haruna Hatahira, Sayaka Sasaoka, Yumi Motooka, Hideaki Hara, Zenichiro Kato, Yasutomi Kinosada, Naoki Inagaki and Mitsuhiro Nakamura

Preliminary study for predicting better methotrexate efficacy in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by systemic inflammatory status, joint destruction, disability, and pain. Methotrexate (MTX) has been confirmed to reduce disease activit...

Authors: Masayuki Hashiguchi, Tomomi Tsuru, Kumika Miyawaki, Midori Suzaki, Jun Hakamata, Mikiko Shimizu, Shin Irie and Mayumi Mochizuki

The pharmacokinetics of mianserin suppositories for rectal administration in dogs and healthy volunteers: a pilot study

We formulated mianserin suppositories for the treatment of delirium and evaluated their pharmacokinetics by measuring plasma drug concentrations in dogs and healthy human volunteers.

Authors: Shuichi Nawata, Noriko Kohyama, Naoki Uchida, Satoshi Numazawa, Masayuki Ohbayashi, Yasuna Kobayashi, Masanori Iwata, Takanori Nakajima, Hiroshi Saito, Akira Izuka and Toshinori Yamamoto

Instructing students to measure their own bone density and prepare a simulated health class during pharmacy school improves their awareness and understanding of osteoporosis prevention

Osteoporosis is estimated to afflict over 200 million people worldwide and healthcare professionals are needed to successfully intervene. The aim of this study was to assess cognitive changes in students perta...

Authors: Erisa Tomishige-Mukai, Akio Kawachi, Erika Kiyohara, Fuminori Esaki, Junichiro Sonoda, Tomohiro Shinya, Keiko Narumi, Keizo Sato and Toshiro Motoya

A retrospective analysis of patient-specific factors on voriconazole clearance

Voriconazole concentrations display a large variability, which cannot completely be explained by known factors. We investigated the relationships of voriconazole concentration with patient-specific variables a...

Authors: Satoshi Dote, Maki Sawai, Ayumu Nozaki, Kazumasa Naruhashi, Yuka Kobayashi and Hirokazu Nakanishi

Population pharmacokinetic analysis and dosing regimen optimization of penicillin G in patients with infective endocarditis

This study was designed to evaluate the population pharmacokinetics (popPK) of penicillin G in patients with infective endocarditis and establish a dosage regimen based on pharmacokinetic data and clinical out...

Authors: Toshiaki Komatsu, Takayuki Inomata, Ichiro Watanabe, Masahiro Kobayashi, Hideya Kokubun, Junya Ako and Koichiro Atsuda

Effect of high-potency statins on HbA1c in patients with or without diabetes mellitus

The increased risk of new-onset diabetes with statin use, including high-potency statins, is well known. However, the effects of high-potency statins on HbA1c are unclear. A retrospective cohort study was cond...

Authors: Nobuhiro Ooba, Shoutarou Tanaka, Yu Yasukawa, Nariyasu Yoshino, Hiroyuki Hayashi, Shinji Hidaka, Toshiichi Seki and Noriyasu Fukuoka

Performance characteristics between TDx®FLx and TBA™-25FR for the therapeutic drug monitoring of methotrexate

High-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) is used in the treatment of certain malignancies, including leptomeningeal metastases, systemic non-Hodgkin lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and osteosarcoma. High circula...

Authors: Tetsuya Kaneko, Takashi Fujioka, Yosuke Suzuki, Yuhki Sato and Hiroki Itoh

Feasibility study of short hydration using oral rehydration solution in cisplatin including chemotherapy of lung cancer

Cisplatin (CDDP) is used as a key anticancer drug for solid cancers, including lung cancer. However, a large quantity of fluid replacement is required to prevent renal dysfunction. This requirement have made o...

Authors: Junya Sato, Naoto Morikawa, Hiroo Nitanai, Hiromi Nagashima, Satoru Nihei, Kohei Yamauti and Kenzo Kudo

Erratum to: A retrospective study to identify risk factors for somnolence and dizziness in patients treated with pregabalin

Authors: Hiroshi Kato, Masayuki Miyazaki, Mio Takeuchi, Hiroaki Tsukuura, Mihoko Sugishita, Yukihiro Noda and Kiyofumi Yamada

Assessment of drug content uniformity of atropine sulfate triturate by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, X-ray powder diffraction, and Raman chemical imaging

Atropine sulfate is an anticholinergic agent for treatment of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis and is orally administrated as a triturate with lactose hydrate. Because of the low safety margin of atropine sulfate...

Authors: Kei Moriyama, Yoichiro Takami, Natsuki Uozumi, Akiko Okuda, Mayumi Yamashita, Rie Yokomizo, Kenichi Shimada, Takashi Egawa, Takehito Kamei and Kazunobu Takayanagi

Erratum to: Pharmacoeconomic effect of compliance with pharmacist’s intervention based on cancer chemotherapy regimens: a cohort study

Authors: Makoto Hayashi, Akimasa Yamatani, Hiromu Funaki and Kenichi Miyamoto

Risk of major bleeding at different PT-INR ranges in elderly Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation receiving warfarin: a nested case-control study

Debate continues about the optimal anticoagulation level for elderly Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) receiving warfarin. The Japanese Circulation Society guideline has recommende...

Authors: Atsushi Ohgushi, Takayuki Ohtani, Natsumi Nakayama, Shigeo Asai, Yoshiyuki Ishii, Atsuo Namiki, Manabu Akazawa and Hirotoshi Echizen

Analysis of the time-to-onset of osteonecrosis of jaw with bisphosphonate treatment using the data from a spontaneous reporting system of adverse drug events

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are potent antiresorptive agents used to treat osteoporosis and the complications associated with malignant bone metastasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of bisphos...

Authors: Mitsuhiro Nakamura, Ryogo Umetsu, Junko Abe, Toshinobu Matsui, Natsumi Ueda, Yamato Kato, Sayaka Sasaoka, Kohei Tahara, Hirofumi Takeuchi and Yasutomi Kinosada

A laboratory data-based evaluation of the efficacy and safety of generic pravastatin sodium for long-term use

Increasing the use of generic drugs may reduce the growing healthcare spending. Nevertheless, in Japan, the generic drug market share remains low compared to that of European countries and the United States, m...

Authors: Masanori Suzuki, Motoyasu Kanamori, Tomoaki Hashimoto, Yuji Hashimoto, Ryohkan Funakoshi and Tadanori Sasaki

Reduction in gastrointestinal bleeding by development and implementation of a protocol for stress ulcer prophylaxis: a before-after study

The implementation of a protocol has been associated with improvements in the processes of care in clinical settings. Although stress ulcer prophylaxis is recommended for critically ill patients at high risk, ...

Authors: Mai Ikemura, Shinji Nakasako, Ryutaro Seo, Takahiro Atsumi, Koichi Ariyoshi and Tohru Hashida

Opioid analgesics increase incidence of somnolence and dizziness as adverse effects of pregabalin: a retrospective study

Pregabalin, a gabapentinoid, is an adjuvant analgesic for treatment of neuropathic pain, but it has serious adverse effects such as somnolence and dizziness, particularly in elderly patients. Although decrease...

Authors: Akihiro Ohishi, Yugo Chisaki, Daiki Hira, Kazuki Nagasawa and Tomohiro Terada

Serum concentrations of clarithromycin and rifampicin in pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex disease: long-term changes due to drug interactions and their association with clinical outcomes

Concomitant use of clarithromycin (CAM) and rifampicin (RFP) for the treatment of pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease affects the systemic concentrations of both drugs due to CYP3A4–related intera...

Authors: Hitoshi Shimomura, Sena Andachi, Takahiro Aono, Akira Kigure, Yosuke Yamamoto, Atsushi Miyajima, Takashi Hirota, Keiko Imanaka, Toru Majima, Hidenori Masuyama, Koichiro Tatsumi and Takao Aoyama

PK/PD analysis of biapenem in patients undergoing continuous hemodiafiltration

Continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) is used as renal replacement therapy for critically ill patients with renal failure, and to treat hypercytokinemia. Since CHDF also clears therapeutic agents, drug pharmacok...

Authors: Gaku Akashita, Yuto Hosaka, Toru Noda, Kazuya Isoda, Tsutomu Shimada, Kazuki Sawamoto, Ken-ichi Miyamoto, Takumi Taniguchi and Yoshimichi Sai

Outcomes of the implementation of the computer-assisted HBView system for the prevention of hepatitis B virus reactivation in chemotherapy patients: a retrospective analysis

Screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is recommended worldwide for patients receiving systemic chemotherapy in accordance with clinical guidelines, but compliance varies by country and facility. Aler...

Authors: Akimasa Sanagawa, Junko Kuroda, Arufumi Shiota, Noriko Kito, Masashi Takemoto, Yoshihiro Kawade, Tetsuo Esaki and Kazunori Kimura

Switching from allopurinol to febuxostat: efficacy and tolerability in hemodialysis patients

Febuxostat is a novel xanthine oxidase inhibitor. However, few studies have examined the long-term efficacy and tolerability of febuxostat after switching from allopurinol in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Theref...

Authors: Satoru Mitsuboshi, Hitoshi Yamada, Kazuhiko Nagai and Hideo Okajima

Evaluation of the pharmacy practice program in the 6-year pharmaceutical education curriculum in Japan: community pharmacy practice program

The purpose of this study was to highlight concerns with the current pharmacy practice program and suggest aspects for improvement. A further aim of the study was to enhance the educational effects of the prog...

Authors: Miho Utsumi, Sachi Hirano, Yuki Fujii and Hiroshi Yamamoto

Effect of switching basal insulin regimen to degludec on quality of life in Japanese patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Maintainance of a stable basal insulin level is important for glycemic control in treatment of diabetes mellitus. Recently introduced insulin degludec has the longest duration of action among basal insulin for...

Authors: Morihiro Okada, Masae Okada, Jun Nishigami, Naoto Yamaaki, Kenji Furukawa, Kiminori Ohyama, Tsutomu Shimada and Yoshimichi Sai

Population pharmacokinetics and optimization of the dosing regimen of digoxin in adult patients

This study aimed to evaluate the population pharmacokinetics of digoxin in Japanese patients and establish a dosage regimen based on the pharmacokinetic data.

Authors: Toshiaki Komatsu, Mami Morita, Futaba Miyaji, Takayuki Inomata, Junya Ako and Koichiro Atsuda

Retrospective investigation of combination therapy with clarithromycin and levofloxacin for pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex disease

Fluoroquinolones are often used for the treatment of refractory Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease when the clinical efficacy of the recommended regimen, which includes clarithromycin (CAM), rifampicin (RF...

Authors: Hitoshi Shimomura, Airi Ono, Keiko Imanaka, Toru Majima, Hidenori Masuyama, Tsugumichi Sato and Takao Aoyama

Effects of an evidence-based medicine workshop on Japanese pharmacy students’ awareness regarding the importance of reading current clinical literature

Drug literature evaluation has been taught at pharmacy schools in the United States, allowing pharmacy students to learn how to read clinical literature critically. In advanced pharmacy practice experiences, p...

Authors: Naoto Nakagawa, Yuriko Murai, Makiko Yoshida, Hiroyuki Suzuki and Nariyasu Mano

A retrospective study to identify risk factors for somnolence and dizziness in patients treated with pregabalin

Pregabalin is a therapeutic drug for neuropathic pain that is associated with somnolence and dizziness. These adverse events are often experienced shortly after initiating pregabalin, and may lead to treatment...

Authors: Hiroshi Kato, Masayuki Miyazaki, Mio Takeuchi, Hiroaki Tsukuura, Mihoko Sugishita, Yukihiro Noda and Kiyofumi Yamada

Active topical therapy by “Furuta method” for effective pressure ulcer treatment: a retrospective study

We newly proposed that “Furuta method,” a pharmacist intervention guidelines, is a topical ointment therapy that considers the physical properties and moist environment of wounds for pressure ulcer (PU) treatm...

Authors: Katsunori Furuta, Fumihiro Mizokami, Hitoshi Sasaki and Masato Yasuhara

Prevention of the exposure by cyclophosphamide oral tablet

Unintended exposure to antitumor agents from an oral medicine may place healthcare workers and patients taking medicine at risk. In this study, the exposure to blister pack by CP (cyclophosphamide) and appropr...

Authors: Takae Hanada, Yoichiro Takami, Kei Moriyama, Masafumi Oro, Takehiro Ogawa, Hiroko Moriyasu, Yuka Inoue, Asako Kanemitsu, Eiko Kawamoto, Ayaka Nagase, Anna Hamahara, Atsuko Yamamoto, Kenichi Shimada, Masashi Takahashi and Takashi Egawa

Differences in recognition of similar medication names between pharmacists and nurses: a retrospective study

Differences in error rates between pharmacists and nurses in terms of drug confirmation have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to analyze differences in error rates between pharmacists and nurses...

Authors: Toshikazu Tsuji, Toshihiro Irisa, Shinji Tagawa, Takehiro Kawashiri, Hiroaki Ikesue, Chiyo Kokubu, Akiko Kanaya, Nobuaki Egashira and Satohiro Masuda

Evaluation of pharmacy practice program in the 6-year pharmaceutical education curriculum in Japan: hospital pharmacy practice program

The objective of this study was to clarify the state of national pharmacy practice program in the 6-year course of pharmaceutical education from the students’ point of view. We will suggest the points for impr...

Authors: Miho Utsumi, Sachi Hirano, Yuki Fujii and Hiroshi Yamamoto

The influence of dietary peptide inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme on the hypotensive effects of enalapril

Enalapril is an antihypertensive medicine that inhibits angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE). The present study investigated interactions between enalapril and a fermented milk product (FMP) containing the AC...

Authors: Machiko Watanabe, Junichi Kurihara, Shigeto Suzuki, Kazuki Nagashima, Hiroyuki Hosono and Fumio Itagaki

Pharmacoepidemiology in Japan: medical databases and research achievements

Pharmacoepidemiology involves development of new models to predict safety in the development stages of pharmaceutical products, development of various guidelines and policy related to clinical trials, pharmaco...

Authors: Shiro Tanaka, Kahori Seto and Koji Kawakami

Hyperglycemic adverse events following antipsychotic drug administration in spontaneous adverse event reports

Antipsychotics are potent dopamine antagonists used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between antipsychotic drugs and adverse hyperglycemic eve...

Authors: Yamato Kato, Ryogo Umetsu, Junko Abe, Natsumi Ueda, Yoko Nakayama, Yasutomi Kinosada and Mitsuhiro Nakamura

Meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of Ginkgo biloba extract for the treatment of dementia

The benefit of Ginkgo biloba for the treatment of dementia remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ginkgo biloba in patients with dementia in whom administration...

Authors: Masayuki Hashiguchi, Yuriko Ohta, Mikiko Shimizu, Junya Maruyama and Mayumi Mochizuki