• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2015

Background: Since November 2012, some of over-the-counter (OTC) medications have been sold in convenience store without pharmacist' s supervision. We purposed to examine if the product labels of OTCs provide sufficient information that is appropriate for consumers who may have low health literacy. Methods: We compared the difficulty of words that are utilized in pharmaceutical product labels of interest (intervention) with those in the $6^{th}$ grade textbook (control). Pharmaceutical products of interest were comprised of 13 OTCs which have been sold currently in convenience stores. We grouped words into the 4 levels of difficulty based on the Korean Vocabulary Classification for Education, and statistically tested words frequency in each level between OTCs and control. Results: The 13 OTC labels included lay language (easier or equal to language used in primary school) about 10% less; professional language about 10% more (p < 0.001 in all). Labels for analgesics had the longest and most difficult information, followed by common cold preparations, muscle pain relievers as plaster or cataplasma and digestives. Conclusion: The 13 OTC labels might fail to provide appropriate information for safety use by consumers in terms of the difficulty level of words. The improvement of labels of OTC medications and consumer education strategies are called for safety use of OTC medications sold in convenience stores.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.142-153
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• 2022

Purpose: Preventing missed care is important in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) due to neonates' vulnerabilities. This study examined missed care and its influencing factors among NICU nurses. Methods: Missed care among 120 Korean NICU nurses was measured using a cross-culturally adapted online questionnaire. The frequency of missed care for 32 nursing activities and the significance of 23 reasons for missed care were collected. Results: All participants had missed at least 1 activity, missing on average 19.35 activities during a typical work-day. The most common missed item was "provide developmental care for the baby". The most common reason for missed care was "emergency within the unit or deterioration of one of the assigned patients". The final regression model explained 9.6% of variance in missed care. The average daily number of assigned patients receiving inotropes or sedation over the last month influenced the total number of missed care items. Conclusion: Missed care was affected by nurses' workload related to the number of patients taking medication. Frequently missed activities, especially those related to developmental care, require patience and time, conflicting with safety prioritization and inadequate working conditions. NICU nurses' working conditions should be improved to ensure adequate time for nursing activities.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2022

Purpose: The study aims to identify the theme list and priority criteria of patient safety theme reports in South Korea. Methods: The survey was conducted twice, and the importance of each criterion and theme was measured on a nine-point scale using the Delphi technique by a panel of 19 patient safety experts. The criteria included severity, universality, preventability, and organizational-social impact. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, median, and interval quartile range were used to analyze the data. Results: The parameters were assigned a weighted average of 35% for severity, 20% for universality, 30% for preventability, and 15% for organizational-social impact, respectively. The final top three rankings were surgery safety, blood transfusion safety, and medication safety. In addition to expert opinion, for the theme that is selected based on the priority ranking, one to five sub-topics can be derived from the theme based on the priority ranking, societal demands, or the yearly priority list of patient safety incidents. Conclusion: It is recommended that the official patient safety center distribute the report in the form of a summary that can be utilized nationwide at medical institutions, government institutions, and other places. Updates, as well as accumulated theme reports, will serve as the baseline data for the proposal of the system and for the policy designed to implement and improve institutions' safety practices as a standard of domestic patient safety practice guidelines.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.1 s.65
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• pp.78-90
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• 2006

Background : Traditional herbal medicine is used extensively among the Korean populations, and other Asian countries employ similar therapies as well. In recent years, extensive focus was laid on adulteration of the herbal medicine with liver damage. The use of herbal preparations as remedies for various medical conditions has continuously increased in Korea. Large proportions of Korean patients use herbal medicinal products, folk remedies, and health food. However, studies on the safety of herbal products are conducted on a less than sufficient basis even in the countries like Korea where herbal medicine is being used extensively. Some of the reports on the safety of herbs were done by the doctors of western medicine but lack of knowledge and misclassification led to misunderstandings. Objectives : This study aims to verify the evidences on safety of frequently used 4 herbal medications (Sipjeondaebo-tang, Bojungikgi-tang, Ohjeok-San, Yukmaijihwang-tang) in the lab animal model. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats was treated by 4 herbal medications during 31 days. After 1 month, we checked body weight, liver weight, and serum enzyme associated with liver function. Results : There is no significant difference in body weight and liver weight after 1 month of administrations. In all experimental groups, no abnormal findings was observed in histotogical research and lab liver Functions test(AST, ALT etc). Conclusions : These four herbal medications, frequently used in oriental medicine clinics and hospitals, are safe from hepatoxic events in the lab animal model.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.311-318
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• 2011

Misinformation and inappropriate use of medication has become one of the most pressing concerns in drug safety. The purpose of this study was to survey public perception on drug safety as well as the channels most relied upon providing such information. The survey was performed for patients or their families visiting pharmacies in a local city in Korea. Analysis was performed from 367 respondents to the survey. The contents of this survey revealed that consumers were aware of the fact that medications should not be taken at any higher dosage or more often than directed by their prescriptions. The survey revealed a general awareness that symptoms might not be relieved immediately by their medications. However, the perception that there could be adverse drug reaction (ADR) at therapeutic dose was low except among the young or highly educated members. Respondents recognized that skin rashes were the most whereas drowsiness was the least common ADR symptom. There was a high awareness of drug-food or drug-drug interactions except in the case of certain nutraceuticals. Doctors and pharmacists were ranked as the most reliable resources to the consumer for providing drug related information. However, public relations or education programs were in need since there were still not negligible numbers of consumers depending on personal experience rather than health professionals.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2012

This study was designed to investigate the effects of a new herbal medicine named CWS-A on the changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) in normal rats, and further to determine the mechanism of action. Also, this study was designed to investigate the effects of CWS-A on the changes in rCBF in cerebral ischemic rats and the safety examination of CWS-A in rats regared to body weight change, renal and liver function test, CBC, $LD_{50}$ and histological observation in rats. The rCBF was significantly and stably increased and MABP was significantly decreased by CWS-A during the period of cerebral reperfusion in normal rats. However, there were no here were no significant changes of rCBF in ischemic rats. In additional, there were no significant changes on the safety examination. In conclusion, these results suggest that medication of CWS-A is effective for the improve the cerebral blood flow and CWS-A can be prescribed as vertigo(眩暈) symptoms treatment.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.686-698
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this study was to report the current status of the Korean traditional medicine side effects described in domestic western medical journals in the past 10 years. Methods: We searched for domestic western medical papers about Korean traditional medicine side effects cases from January 1, 2008, to August 31, 2017. Results: Thirty papers were selected from 31 studies. The number of papers of side effects caused by acupuncture was 21 (70%), by herbal medication was 7 (23%) and by thread lifting was 2 (7%). The number of papers of side effects caused by Korean medical doctors was 20 (66.8%), by non-medical persons including patients was 2 (6.6%), by herbal pharmacists was 1 (3.3%), by multiple practitioners, including Korean medical doctors, was 1 (3.3%), and by unknown persons was 6 (20%). Reported side effects were mostly mild, except for death and severe side effects. Conclusions: Studies of Korean traditional medicine side effects are short, and in-depth studies of stability are needed. These studies will improve the safety of the Korean traditional medicine.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.99-107
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• 2013

Objectives The purpose of this study is to obtain knowledge and views on treatment of acupuncture and acupressure for myopia. Methods The key words such as 'myopia, acupuncture', 'myopia, acupressure', 'refractive errors, acupuncture', 'refractive errors, acupressure' are used for the research through PubMed. Total 13 studies among the searched 66 were analyzed, except duplicated studies and have little relation to myopia or acupuncture and acupressure. Results Total 13 studies were selected: RCT (5), NRCT (3), UCT (3), Review (2). RCT had two studies on treatment by stimulating auricular acupoints, one study on a treatment by stimulating auricular acupoints and meridian acupoints, one study on a treatment to stimulate auricular acupoints with medication, and one study on electroacupuncture. In NRCT, two studies were on treatment to stimulate auricular acupoints with medication and only one study was on analysis of effect according to intensity of acupuncture. UCT had two studies on acupuncture, and one study on treatment to stimulate auricular acupoints. In Review, there were one study on introduction of Chinese eye exercises, and one study on systematic review for effectiveness and safety of acupuncture. Conclusions The effect on treatment of acupuncture and acupressure for myopia had mostly positive results. However, still not many researches were done to conclude this found. Also, the design of the experiment should be more accurate with systematically designed experimental group and control group.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.99-115
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose for this study was to identify the present state of Clinical Nurses with Expanded Role (CNERs) and provide basic data to refine the roles of CNERs. In this study, CNREs refers to nurses who perform techniques traditionally done by doctors and use titles such as clinical nursing specialist, educator with consultation, research assistant, coordinator, physician assistant and special examiner. Method: This study was conducted from September 1 to November 12, 2007. Data from 684 nurses from 38 hospitals who responded to the questionnaire were analyzed with descriptive statistics using the SPSS 14.0 program. Results: The mean percentage of time spent was, for direct practice, 41.1%, for education and counseling, 22.8%, for consultation and coordination, 10.4%, for research, 6.8%, for administration, 8.9% and for other activities, 10.0%. The most frequently implemented CNERs, activities included consultation and education for patients and their families, counseling by telephone, history taking, physical examination, reading examination results, psychosocial assessment, managing treatment, input of prescriptions, and writing up patient records, Although not frequently performed, nurses in some fields carried out invasive procedures and prescribed medication and laboratory tests. Conclusion: Although the number of hospital CNERs are rapidly increasing, there is still confusion about the title and framework as well as standards. Furthermore, because some nurses are prescribing medication and laboratory tests as well as performing techniques not traditionally done by nurses, there is an absolute need for a legalized system and systematic education system for the safety of patients who are being cared by all CNERs.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.119-133
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• 2005

Traditional herbal medicine is widely used among the Korean people, and other eastern Asian countries employ similar therapies as well. In recent years, due to increasing interest in herbal medicines, many researches have been made on the toxicity and side effects of herbal medications. Through private and public media, there have been many opinions suggesting taking herbal medicines is very harmful, especially on the liver and kidney functions. This assertion has been mainly presented by the doctors that practice western medicine, But this assertion is never based on adequate knowledge of herbal medicine. This study aims to provide the evidences that taking herbal medicines is safe on the renal functions. Four frequently used herbal medications(Sipjeondaebotang, Bojungigitang, Ojeoksan, and Yukmijihwangtang) were used to test the toxicity of herbal medicine oh the lab animal model(SD-Rat). There is no significant difference in body weight and kidney weight after herbal medication for 1 month. In all experimental groups, no abnormal findings were observed in histological study, and lab renal function index(BUN, creatinine, uric acid). These results say that four herbal multi-used-medicines, when medicated, is safe from the renal toxicity in lab animal model.