[Role of Pharmacists in Topical Therapy for Onychomycosis in the Home-care Setting].

[Role of Pharmacists in Topical Therapy for Onychomycosis in the Home-care Setting]. Yakugaku Zasshi. 2018;138(5):615-619 Authors: Yamaura K, Hayashi N, Imazu Y, Yoneta Y, Uchida E, Suzuki J Abstract 　There is an urgent need to promote home medical care in Japan because of the country's superaging society. Community pharmacists are expected to play an important role as part of home medical care teams. The prevalence of nail ringworm is high among home-care patients and can cause decreases in the quality of life, including difficulty in walking due to pain caused by nail deformation and inflammation around infected nails. Nail ringworm is typically treated with oral medication. However, the condition is left untreated in many elderly patients because of the risk of drug-drug interactions or concerns about severe liver damage. Efinaconazole, a novel triazole antifungal agent, has recently become available in Japan, enabling patients with nail ringworm to be treated with a topical medication. In topical treatment, the method of application is important because of its major impact on the therapeutic effect. Therefore, pharmacists should take special care to instruct patients and caregivers on the proper use of topical efinaconazole. Adherence to oral medication can be easily monitored by checking the number of tablets or capsules remaining, but adherence to topical medication regimens is more difficult to assess because the remaining a...
Source: Yakugaku Zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: Yakugaku Zasshi Source Type: research