[Provision System of Medical Narcotics].

Patients with cancer are increasingly opting for home health care, resulting in a rapid increase in the number of prescriptions for narcotics aimed at pain control. As these narcotics are issued by pharmacies only upon presentation of valid prescriptions, the quantity stored in the pharmacies is of importance. Although many pharmaceutical outlets are certified for retail sale of narcotic drugs, the available stock is often extremely limited in variety and quantity. Affiliated stores of wholesale(or central wholesale)dealers do not always have the necessary certifications to provide medical narcotics. Invariably, the quantity stored by individual branches or sales offices is also limited. Hence, it may prove difficult to urgently secure the necessary and appropriate drugs according to prescription in certain areas of the community. This report discusses the problems faced by wholesalers and pharmacies during acquisition, storage, supply, and issue of prescription opioids from a stockpiling perspective.