Analysis of daily reports of practical training in pharmacology using text mining

Abstract

The text mining and full-text searching function were used to analyze the digitalized daily reports of the practical training in pharmacology submitted to the web system in Fukuyama University. Collocations connected to the word "inspection" were searched in the daily reports using the text mining and the full-text search functions of the system. Many collocation groups connected to "inspection" were found in the daily reports and the greatest number of collocations was associated with "preparation of drugs". Practical training in narcotic dispensing has two different aspects: inspection and experience training. The number of people who reported a relation between "inspection" and "narcotics dispensing" in the daily reports was very similar to those who reported a connection between "experience" and "narcotics". Practical training to handle narcotic dispensing is the most fundamental training that the pharmacist must undertake. The progression of team-based medical care has caused medical personnel to recognize the practical training in pharmacology, and the number of the people who reported a relation between "inspection" and "team medical care" in 2011 increased in comparison to 2010. Moreover, the progression of cooperation among hospitals, pharmacies, and local blanches of the Japan Pharmaceutical Association is beneficial to practical training. Practical training in pharmacology is based on the core curriculum, but undergoes periodic modification due to societal circumstances. Therefore, these results suggest that the construction of web system for submitting daily reports is useful for analyzing the daily reports. © 2013 The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.