Improvements in Lifestyle from a Lifestyle Consecutive Self-Review at a Pharmacy

In 2015, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released a report on the need for pharmacies to support public health, although the details of such a service was left to each pharmacy. Consequently, pharmacists had to determine the nature of such services. We considered the services that pharmacists could offer to improve people's lifestyles. This study tests such a service at a pharmacy. We prepared a lifestyle self-review test. From September 2015 to February 2016, pharmacists interviewed members of the community using the test, and pharmacists at 50 pharmacies in Aichi prefecture, Japan, set goals for lifestyle improvement. We analyzed 289 tests. The number of people who had a dietary goal concerning snacking was reduced from 19 people who snacked every day to 11. The number of people who had a goal to reduce their drinking was reduced from 7 people who drank every day to 4. The number of people who had an exercise goal was reduced from 17 people who did not exercise every day to 7. The people who had a sleep goal increased the number of days in which they got adequate rest. Those who had specific, tangible goals for walking achieved their goal at a higher rate than did those who had a goal but no tangible elements, such as time spent or number of steps achieved. Overall, the lifestyle self-review at the pharmacy was effective for lifestyle improvement. Pharmacists should help people set goals with tangible elements to improve their lifestyle more effectively.