• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2023

Objective: There is a growing interest in the safe use of medications in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find ways to improve education about safe medication use by investigating the status of medication use of pregnant and breastfeeding women, and by evaluating their knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward safe medication use. Methods: In this study, a self-report questionnaire was conducted on pregnant or breastfeeding women in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The questionnaire consisted of the following four sections; 1) sociodemographic characteristics of participants, 2) experience of medication use, 3) experience of being educated on safe medication use, and 4) knowledge, attitudes, and practices about medication use during pregnancy/breastfeeding. Results: A total of 203 participants were included in the analysis. Of these, 38.4% reported to take prescription medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Regarding education on safe medication use, nearly 90% of the participants answered that they were not educated or were unsure whether they had it. In the knowledge-attitude-practice evaluation on safe medication use, the knowledge level was the highest (mean, 4.45), followed by the attitude level (mean, 3.58) and the practice level (mean, 3.33). The preferred education method of the participants was online education using a computer or mobile phone application, etc. Conclusions: This study suggests that there is a need for systematic and effective education that can link knowledge of safe medication use with attitudes and practices in pregnant and breastfeeding women.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.18-29
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• 2017

Purpose: This study investigates the status of medication use of the elderly with chronic disease taking non-opioid analgesics and attempts to identify factors influencing medication adherence. Methods: Data were collected from September 1 to October 19, 2016. A structured questionnaire was used for face-to-face interview with a convenience sample of 161, elderly people with chronic disease taking non-opioid analgesics. The survey included questions about status of medication use, medication adherence, symptom experience, depression and family function. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression with IBM SPSS 23.0 program. Results: The mean score of medication adherence of the elderly with chronic disease was $4.48{\pm}2.35$. Experiences of side effects (${\beta}=.31$, p< .001), use of over-the-counter pain medication (${\beta}=.19$, p= .009), and family function (${\beta}=.16$, p= .031) were identified as significant predictors. The final model explained 18.0% of the variation of medication adherence of the elderly with chronic disease taking non-opioid analgesics (F= 12.30, p< .001). Conclusion: Therefore, as a strategy to improve medication adherence of the elderly with chronic disease, therapeutic intervention should be developed to improve family function and to manage with personalized plans considering experiences of side effects and use of over-the-counter pain medication.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.56-66
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• 2018

Purpose: This quasi-experimental study was done to develop image-use medication education for older inpatients and to evaluate the effects on their knowledge, self-efficacy, and misuse of medication. Methods: Fifty nine elders (experimental group - 30, and control group - 29) received medication education once a week for 3 weeks. Data were collected before (pretest), right after (post 1), and 4 weeks after the program finished (post 2). Drug Use Knowledge Scale, Self-efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale, and Drug Misuse Scale were used. Analysis included descriptive statistics, $x^2$ test, repeated measured ANOVA. Results: Findings showed significant differences in knowledge of medication and drug misuse between groups according to time(pretest, post 1, and post 2). At post 1 and post 2, knowledge and self-efficacy levels were significantly higher and misuse scores were lower in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: Findings indicate that elder-tailored medication education consisting of group education and individual guidance with images is effective and practical for medicine safety in elderly inpatients. Moreover, it could lead to a healthier life for elders, even elders with multiple chronic diseases and taking several medications.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 2023

Background: The safe use of medication in children is important, as it can have significant implications for their health and wellbeing. Parents or caregivers play a crucial role in the medication administration process. Therefore, this study would evaluate the needs and current status (knowledge, attitude, and practice) of caregivers for children on the safe use of medication. Methods: We conducted questionnaires on 150 caregivers with children under nine years old and asked about their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the safe use of medication and their needs. Each question was conducted on a 5-point scale. Results: Of the 150 respondents, 128 were women, 75 were in their 30s, and 63 were in their 40s. Among them, 29 parents answered that they had been educated about the safe use of medicines, and 26 (84%) were satisfied with the education. Knowledge, attitude, and practice assessments on drug safety use (mean±SD) were found to be 3.83±0.44, 3.67±0.38, and 3.53±0.45, respectively. There were significant differences between the educated group and the uneducated group in knowledge and practice, not attitude. Conclusion:To provide appropriate education to caregivers of pediatric patients is necessary to ensure the safe and effective use of medication in children. Moreover, appropriate education can improve caregivers' understanding of medication use and lead to proper administration. Therefore, it is imperative to develop educational materials and strategies for medications that incorporate both specialized knowledge and practical applications for pediatric patients.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.178-185
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• 2017

Objective: Because of communication difficulties, the hearing-impaired face many disadvantages throughout their lives. One of those is limited access to health care services, particularly medication service. Though they suffer from problems related to taking medication properly, there have been few studies on their actual condition of medication use in Korea. This study is to investigate any obstacles to properly taking medications and, therefore, to suggest preliminary evidence for policy measures to improve safe medication use among the hearing-impaired. Methods: Study participants consisted of hearing-impaired individuals living in Seoul. We also interviewed two sign language interpreters in order to illuminate health care state of the hearing-impaired. In-depth interview for each study participant was recorded and was translated into a written script for analysis. Results: Study participants were comprised of four women (66.6%) and two men (33.3%). There were one participants in 20's, two participants in 30's, one 40's, and two 50's. Sign language interpreters were all women. One was in her 30's and the other was in her 40's. Communication difficulties have been found to be key barrier to use medication safely. A negative image of pharmacists also hinders safe medication usage, lowering access to local pharmacy and leading discretional self-medication. This article provides pharmacists with solutions to promote adherence in this population. Conclusion: The hearing-impaired had limited access to medication-related information as well as using services in a hospital and local pharmacy due to their disability. Institutional improvement for safe medication usage among the hearing-impaired is necessary.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.24-32
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• 2016

Objective: The visually impaired have limited access to health care services and related information, and thus, they can have serious hurdles against properly taking medications. Despite that it is important to improve self-care ability of the visually impaired for correct medication use, there have been few studies investigating their needs for health care services in Korea, particularly focusing on proper medication usage. This study is to explore safety-related issues regarding mediation usage among the visually impaired based on in-depth interview. We particularly focus on any obstacles for safe use of medicines including experience on medication-related adverse effects in order to provide preliminary evidence for policy measures to improve proper medication use among the visually impaired. Methods: Study sample was visually impaired individuals who resided in Seoul area and were registered in the National Association of Visually Impaired. The association helped the process of recruiting the study participants. In-depth interview for each study participants was conducted. Each interview was recorded and later converted into a written script to extract core contents for the analysis. Results: The study participants comprised of three women (42.9%) and four men (57.1%). One was in his 20's, and there were four participants in 30's and two in 40's. Fully impaired participants were majority (5 out of 7). Limitation to physical access to health care providers and health information were the key factors to hamper safe medication utilization among the study participants. Difficulty reading medication information and may take the wrong medication or incorrect doses of medication, resulting in serious consequences, including overdose or inadequate treatment of health problems. Visually impaired patients report increased anxiety related to medication management and must rely on others to obtain necessary drug information. Pharmacists have a unique opportunity to pursue accurate medication adherence in this special population. This article reviews literature illustrating how severe medication mismanagement can occur in the visually impaired elderly and presents resources and solutions for pharmacists to take a larger role in adherence management in this population. Conclusion: The visually impaired had difficulties reading medication information and identifying medicines, and took incorrect doses of medications. Public support for safe medication use and medication management among the visually impaired is necessary.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.579-596
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• 2012

The purpose of the study is to examine the use of medication among adults by comparing the pattern of outpatient prescription drug use with the pattern of long term taking lifestyle drug use. Furthermore, the study investigates factors associated with the use of medication, particularity focusing on socioeconomic factors. Korea Health Panel data of 2008 was used to conduct the study analysis. By performing four different logistic regression models, the study noticed different patterns of the medication use between prescription drugs and lifestyle drugs. More specifically, the study showed that adults with lower education level tend to more frequently receive prescriptions while adults with higher education as well as income level tend to more use lifestyle drugs than their counterparts. Furthermore, other control factors such as age and gender were statistically significant for the use of both prescription and lifestyle drugs in different patterns. The study findings expect that reimbursement structure of drugs may be significantly associated with the different patterns and accordingly the accessability of medicine in particularly vulnerable population. Therefore, these policy factors should be considered in future study to more comprehensively understand about the diverse patterns in the medication use.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.568-578
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine current status of IT-based medication error prevention system construction and the relationships among system construction, medication error management climate and perception for system use. Methods: The participants were 124 patient safety chief managers working for 124 hospitals with over 300 beds in Korea. The characteristics of the participants, construction status and perception of systems (electric pharmacopoeia, electric drug dosage calculation system, computer-based patient safety reporting and bar-code system) and medication error management climate were measured in this study. The data were collected between June and August 2011. Descriptive statistics, partial Pearson correlation and MANCOVA were used for data analysis. Results: Electric pharmacopoeia were constructed in 67.7% of participating hospitals, computer-based patient safety reporting systems were constructed in 50.8%, electric drug dosage calculation systems were in use in 32.3%. Bar-code systems showed up the lowest construction rate at 16.1% of Korean hospitals. Higher rates of construction of IT-based medication error prevention systems resulted in greater safety and a more positive error management climate prevailed. Conclusion: The supportive strategies for improving perception for use of IT-based systems would add to system construction, and positive error management climate would be more easily promoted.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.400-416
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to find ways to improve education about safe medication use by investigating the current status of medication use by middle and high school students, and by evaluating their knowledge, attitudes, practices and education needs toward safe medication use. For this purpose, a survey was administered to 200 middle and high school students in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Over the past year, 92.0% and 57.5% of respondents used over-the counter drugs and prescription drugs at least one time, respectively. Regarding the experience of education on safe medication use, 34.0% of respondents have been educated more than once since their admission to middle school. The overall mean score of knowledge·attitude·practice (KAP) toward safe medication use was 3.79, but the mean score of practice scope was relatively lower than the others. Moreover, there were no significant differences in KAP scores for safe medication use by school grade or educational experience. Based on these findings, we suggest further studies regarding 1) expansion and differentiation of education content on safe medication use, 2) transition of education method to outcome-based education approach, and 3) inclusion of education on safe medication use in the regular curriculum of middle and high schools.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.230-237
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• 2016

Background: Since the use of opioid analgesics is frequent in operation rooms (OR), the risk of medication error is high; however the use of medication in the OR has been operating independently with the hospital pharmacy. Therefore, the assessment on management of medication use in operation and the pharmacist's role is needed. Methods: We conducted the literature review and survey from anesthesiologists, operating nurses at Chung-Ang Hospital on management of medication for operation use, awareness on need for medication management efficiency, need for satellite pharmacy in the operating room and its effect. Results: 56% of medical staffs responded that management of medication in the operating room is efficient; however, 82.6% responded that they felt the inconvenience in medication delivery to the OR when additional prescription was ordered. 51.5% also responded that extra time was required for management of narcotics and inventory/record keeping. 80% agreed that there could be lost costs due to prescription missed. Medical staffs responded improving the drug management system could increase the OR efficiency (87%), and eventually bring the increase in hospital revenue (80.4%). Those who responded that implementation of OR satellite pharmacy was needed include physicians (84.6%), nurses (63.6%), and also responded that it'd bring more profit to the hospital by increasing the efficiency in OR (60.9%). Conclusion: For efficient management of medications, implementation of OR satellite pharmacy would lead to improved drug management and increased efficiency in OR and reduced cost and improved patient care.