Social Initiatives

Efforts to disseminate information on support available to the deaf-blind at our stores

In order to contribute to a sustainable society, NIHON CHOUZAI has set "Support the healthcare and welfare fields (e.g., persons with intractable diseases or disabilities)" as its materiality and is making efforts to fulfill its social responsibility as a medical institution.

In cooperation with Special Needs Education School for the Visually Impaired, University of Tsukuba, we distributed to visitors to more than our 700 pharmacies* a leaflet published by the National Institute of Special Needs Education. The National Institute of Special Needs Education is an organization that promotes special needs education, providing information necessary for the education of "deaf-blind" children with both visual and hearing impairments, and offering opportunities for interaction for parents with deaf-blind children. There are issues such as insufficient information about the support available to families with children who are deaf-blind. By distributing leaflets at our stores, we have promoted awareness-raising activities to help support deaf-blind children in need of education.

In addition, posters titled "Notice of Opening of Information Desk for Deaf-Blind Medical Support and Medical Facilities" were displayed in 400 stores*. This poster is intended to inform deaf-blind people and their health care providers of the contact points of health care facilities where deaf-blind people can get the support they need, as well as the website where they can find such information. These were established mainly by the Tokyo Medical Center. The website ("Deaf-Blind Medical Support Information Net") allows you to search for other support services available to deaf-blind people and information necessary for medical professionals to provide medical care to them. The site also provides information for medical professionals on the various types of support available to people who are deaf-blind.

We will continue to make efforts to support people with intractable diseases and disabilities.

*Number of pharmacies in operation as of January 20, 2023.

In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, conducting medication guidance by telephone and medicine deliveries from our pharmacies nationwide

With the spread of COVID-19, it has become difficult for people to receive medical treatment at medical institutions. Based on a notice issued by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on April 10, 2020, measures have been taken on an exceptional, limited time basis to enable delivery of medicine, as well as medication guidance using information communication devices such as by telephones and video calls at pharmacies.

At NIHON CHOUZAI, we have started accepting prescriptions via fax, medication guidance by telephone, and home delivery of medicine. We have built a system to share prescriptions with medical institutions via fax by using “curon,” an online medical service from MICIN, INC.

In addition, from September 2020, all pharmacies will be able to provide medication guidance via video call, and we are responding by introducing Medley Inc.'s Pharms, a dispensing counter support system.

Furthermore, in collaboration with delivery locker operator Fulltime System Co., Ltd., Nihon Chouzai in November 2020 launched trials of a prescription delivery service that does not involve person-to-person contact. In July 2021, in collaboration with leading convenience store chain operator FamilyMart Co., Ltd., we also started trials of a prescription delivery service utilizing pick-up boxes equipped with an authentication function that are installed at FamilyMart convenience stores in Kanagawa Prefecture.

By making use of non-face-to-face delivery formats, patients can receive prescriptions safely, without interpersonal contact and at any time, even outside pharmacy business hours. This is expected not only to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection but also heighten convenience.

Case studies of using our electronic medication notebook, Okusuri Techo Plus, were posted on a government website that introduces measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19

Several initiatives by NIHON CHOUZAI, including rapid delivery of medicine using our electronic medication notebook Okusuri Techo Plus, were posted as good examples at pharmacies on a website introducing example efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (https://distribute-dei-taisaku.jp/). This website was established as a joint effort by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; the Consumer Affairs Agency; and the Distribution Economics Institute of Japan. In order to minimize the time patients spend waiting at our pharmacies, we have worked to ensure that medicine can be given to them faster by having them send their prescriptions to the pharmacy in advance using the “send prescription function” of Okusuri Techo Plus. In addition, by implementing the following initiatives at our head office, branches and pharmacies, we have established a system that takes into consideration how to prevent infection of patients and how to prevent infection of employees working at our pharmacies.

Pharmacists Cooperate in COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Efforts

Based on requests from local governments, pharmacist associations, and other organizations nationwide, the Nihon Chouzai Group joined in helping to carry out the mass COVID-19 vaccination efforts that are underway across the country. As of June 8, 2021, a total of 604 Nihon Chouzai pharmacists had taken part in vaccination programs set up in 23 prefectures (including scheduled cooperation).

Company-wide initiatives to prevent the spread of COVID-19

We are taking various measures company-wide to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Our main initiatives are as follows. As a company that provides medical care, we are strengthening our initiatives to prevent anyone from getting infected within the company.

Major initiatives to prevent the spread of disease at our pharmacies

・Regularly disinfecting places in pharmacies where there is a lot of contact, such as push buttons for automatic doors, medication guidance counters, seats, etc., and placing seats to facilitate social distancing

・Using a system in which all employees wear masks and register their daily temperature measurements and attendance status online, so their supervisor can check
・Installing acrylic and vinyl partitions at receptions and medication guidance counters to prevent droplets from scattering

Main initiatives to prevent the spread of disease in our administrative departments, including our headquarters and branches

・Changing work dates, implementing working from home and flex time, work systems distributed across multiple locations

・Cancelling internal meetings, transitioning to online meetings, cancelling welcome/farewell parties and social gatherings

・Having all employees wear masks, reporting daily temperature measurements and attendance

・Cancelling customer visits, cancelling business trips, introducing video conference systems, securing laptops

・Changing from group training to online training

Helping you get healthy every day! Health Check Station

NIHON CHOUZAI began actively operating Health Check Stations in its pharmacies in fiscal 2016. Health Check Stations provide various services for pre-symptomatic diseases and disease prevention for local residents. In addition to hosting a variety of health-related events and consultation services on drugs, national registered dieticians provide nutrition-related consultation and other services at our main pharmacies to support the improved health and lives of local residents.

Certified Nutrition Care Stations

As of June 1, 2023, 27 Nihon Chouzai pharmacies have been designated Certified Nutrition Care Stations.

Certified Nutrition Care Stations are facilities certified by the Japan Dietetic Association as community-based hubs where registered dieticians and nutritionists provide nutrition-related care. By providing nutritional care support and guidance, registered dietitians and nutritionists aim to create local communities where residents can lead productive, fulfilling, and healthy lives. Certified Nutrition Care Stations take a multifaceted approach to supporting community health promotion. In collaboration with medical institutions, Station staff visit residences to offer nutrition consultation for people undergoing medical diets or who have difficulty going to the hospital. They also run cooking classes and devise menus for local governments, health insurance associations, companies, and healthcare institutions, and provide specific health guidance and a range of other nutrition-related services. Further reinforcing collaboration with medical institutions and long-term care facilities, the Group will heighten its focus on health promotion for community residents as well as long-term care and preventive healthcare.

Challenge your dream job as a pharmacist! Children's Pharmacist Experience

Every year, we hold the very popular "Children's Pharmacist Experience". This event continues to be an activity to convey the importance of taking medication safely and how pharmacists contribute to maintaining the health of local residents through easy-to-understand “pharmacist experience” activities.

Conference Presentations: 36 presentations delivered at academic conferences delivered at 24 academic conferences

In fiscal 2019, NIHON CHOUZAI made 36 presentations at 24 academic conferences. Due to the spread of COVID-19, we have not been able to appear at academic conferences from February 2020 onwards because some have been canceled or postponed, so these results cover the period from April 2019 to January 2020. At the JTTA Annual Academic Conference held in October 2019, we made a presentation about “Remote medication guidance in the National Strategic Special Zone using electronic medication notebooks.”

Assistance for Great East Japan Earthquake Victims at the Futaba Pharmacy

Following the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, Nihon Chouzai assisted victims of this disaster by establishing a telephone consultation service to give information about the proper use of medications to people who were served by a pharmacy that had to close due to this disaster.

One month after the earthquake and tsunami, Nihon Chouzai opened a medication consultation desk to actively provide drug information at the temporary housing facility in Kazo city, Saitama prefecture for residents of Futaba-machi, which is in the evacuation zone of the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. This desk served people who used the Nihon Chouzai Futaba Pharmacy, which had to close.

Nihon Chouzai used back-up data stored at its head office to serve the large number of customers who used Nihon Chouzai pharmacies in disaster-affected areas as well as to answer questions about these people from medical institutions at evacuation sites. Customers told us that they were worried because they didn’t remember what drugs they were taking and that they appreciated receiving information about the drugs they were using before this disaster.