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Background: Appropriate cold chain management is the foundation of safety and quality of vaccines. Objectives: This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the cold chain management of the rural health units of Consolacion and Liloan, Cebu, Philippines on August to September 2017. Methods: Data was collected using a structured questionnaire, which was developed based on previous studies of cold chain survey. The questionnaire was administered to one personnel who is responsible for the storage and maintenance of vaccines in each public health center (PHC). Results: Of 42 targeted PHCs, only 52.4% (n=22) agreed to join in the study. The results of the study indicated that storage units and equipments were available in all 22 PHCs, even though only five of them (22.7%) stored vaccines. The majority of PHCs (90.9%, n=20) did not have access to a generator and only 9% (n=2) had a voltage stabilizer connected to the refrigerator. Refrigerators that were equipped with thermometer were only found in 68.2% (n=15) PHCs. No statistically significant relationship was found (p=0.159) between the statuses of PHCs to store vaccine and the level of knowledge of health professionals assigned to manage the vaccine. Conclusions: Primary health centers that store vaccines have at least one functional refrigerator and freezer and alternative power sources. Contingency plans in the event of mechanical and power failure as well as proper temperature monitoring are needed. Personnel handling vaccines must be updated on proper storage and transport of such like the use of cold boxes and ice packs to maintain cold chain. Improvement of cold-chain management for vaccines in Cebu City’s PHCs was necessary.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge of parents and caregivers with respect to the purchase, use and storage of liquid analgesics purchased over the counter (OTC) from pharmacies. This would enable specific strategies to be identified to increase awareness of the potential risks of these products. Methods: Questionnaires were developed and used a combination of Likert Scales, open ended questions and yes/no answers. Randomly chosen New Zealand pharmacies (463) were asked to approach a person purchasing liquid analgesics and ask them to complete the questionnaire. Of the 105 pharmacies that participated, 96 completed parent/caregiver questionnaires were returned. Results: When choosing a product there was a statistically significant difference between the most important factors "safety" and "active ingredient" and the least important factors "cost" and if the parent/caregiver "used it before". All parents/caregivers claim to have received verbal information from pharmacy staff, with 40% stating that they "always" receive information. The majority of parents/caregivers store medicines in a high place (n=61), in a cupboard (n=56) or a combination of these. Over half (52%) of the parents/caregivers thought that children could "never" open child resistant closures. Conclusion: Whilst parents and caregivers choose products based on perceived safety, there is an over estimation in the perception of the protection that a child resistant closure actually offers. The general public needs to continually be vigilant in the use, storage and administration when using medication in the vicinity of children.

Deterioration of the medication adherence for elderly could result in wasteful medical expenditure in a long-term span as well as aggravating the patient's medical condition. Objective : This study surveyed the effect of one-dose package medication made up by a pharmacist on the patient's behavior towards medication, what is expected to be one of the measures to improve the medication adherence for elderly. Methods : With support activity of the Pharmacist Association in Ueda-city in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, the survey form of one-dose package was sent to 86 pharmacy directors located in Ueda-city. Results : The most frequent reasons of one dose packaging was “Patient’s request” though, “Large number of doses”, “Prevent the improper drug use” and “Improved medication adherence” which is considered that the pharmacists are willing to utilize one dose package for patient’s care in order to improve the medication adherence were chosen as well. The influences of one dose package for patient’s medication adherence were very positive, and most answers indicated that medication adherence was improved. Conclusion : It is noticed that the pharmacists were willing to dispense one dose packaging by own decision, not physician’s order, in order to improve the medication adherence, prevent improper drug use and optimize the medication therapy. It is also noticed that there are great improvement of patient’s compliance by one dose package, and patients felt advantage to reduce the improper drug use as well.