Quality and Safety

Materialty Contribution to the quality of life through sustainable medical care

Awareness of safety and security as a corporate group that provides medical care

As a corporate group that provides medical care, we carry out activities that lead to safety and security both inside and outside the company.

Measures for medical safety

Measures against dispensing errors

To put the three principles of dispensing errors into the practice, we strive for the thorough enforcement of the Qol’s Promise, a declaration of action in daily efforts to eliminate “carelessness,” which is the main cause of dispensing errors. We also develop and use systems for dispensing error prevention. We also take our original measures against dispensing errors. For example, we post warning labels on the shelves of easily mistakable drugs referring to past incident cases.

Qol’s three principles on dispensing errors

1. We make every effort to build a dispensing system that does not allow dispensing errors.
2. We make every effort to build an education system that does not allow dispensing errors.
3. We make every effort to build an environment that does not allow dispensing errors.

More information on our measures to prevent dispensing errors is available on the site below.

Family pharmacists

The Qol Group is making our pharmacies “family pharmacies,” where patients can see the same “family pharmacist” every time, so that they can keep taking their medicines comfortably.

Functions of family pharmacists

1. Collectively manage the medications each patient took in the past (“medicine record”) so that we can check for medicine duplication and side effects even when the patient is getting prescription from more than one clinic.
2. Provide advice on medication suitable for each patient’s lifestyle, as well as medical information for the local area.
3. Provide total support for the health of patients

Information on effective use of family pharmacies is available on the site below.

Providing accurate pharmaceutical information to patients

The Qol Group shares information we obtain in our daily activities within the group to prevent side effects of our patients and to improve the effectiveness of medication. This allows us to help improve medical care pharmacists provide. For example, when pharmacists find a concern on the prescription after checking the test results, the history of side effects and allergic reactions of the patient, they contact the doctor to ensure that patients can take the medication without worry.

Medical Qol specializes in compiling of drug information and drug guides for patients. With its reliable experience and achievements, Medical Qol supports medical care professionals to provide and deliver safety management information.

Crisis management

Infectious disease prevention measures in pharmacies and facilities

As a prevention measure, we install Air Buster ozone disinfection/deodorizing equipment at the Qol Group’s pharmacies and facilities, while setting up designated rooms to avoid contact with infection sources. In addition, we encourage customers to use a smartphone app to digitally send prescriptions so that they can minimize the time spent at a pharmacy. Using delivery lockers and various touchless payment systems, we also work on promotion of contactless and non-face-to-face services without reducing the quality of medical care we provide. In addition, all Qol Pharmacies instruct customers of compliance with medications and deliver medications via telephone and other means.

Appropriate management of pharmaceutical inventories using digital transformation (DX)

To solve the problems of stock-out and waste of expired medicines, Qol Pharmacy has started a trial operation to introduce a system for optimizing orders with AI-based demand forecast. We believe that these measures will not only reduce the disposal of pharmaceuticals but also lighten the workload of employees. It will also reduce CO2 emissions from wholesalers’ delivery vehicles as the number of additional deliveries can be decreased.

And we were the first in the industry to install Drug Station, a pharmaceutical dispensing equipment, which automatically pick pharmaceuticals. The system automates medication picking based on the prescriptions and greatly improves the efficiency of the stocking procedures, allowing pharmacists to spend more time with patients.