Message from the President
The Meiji Pharmaceutical University was founded in 1902 and has a rich history and tradition. Throughout its 108 years, it has nurtured many well-rounded and highly capable pharmacists with important roles as leaders in the modern medical setting. Shigenobu Onda, the founder of the university, believed that this institution would serve to cultivate pharmacists who will advance the field of pharmacy, support healthcare and improve people's lives through the supply and prescription of medicines. At present, the size of the elderly population is growing in Japan, and as a result, pharmacists play an even greater role in today's diverse healthcare. Consequently, pharmacists need to attain even higher levels of knowledge and skills. In accordance with these strong social demands, our university established department of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (a 6-year program)(enrolment limit: 300) and department of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (a 4-year program)(enrolment limit: 60) in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in April 2006.The educational goals of the department of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (a 6-year program) is to nurture high-quality pharmacists to serve as leaders in medicine and to meet the needs of society for the safe use of pharmaceutical products, in accordance with advancements in medical technology and progress in the separation of dispensary from medical practice. It is imperative that we nurture pharmacists with a broad knowledge of basic and applied pharmacy as well as strong medical ethics, in addition to a solid foundation in the sciences.
In addition to the 5 months of practical training necessary to qualify for candidacy for the national exam, our university offers a unique training curriculum comprising 7 courses, which allow students to receive 4-6 months of practical training in line with their desired career paths. In the process, we have enhanced the education of clinical pharmacy.
The educational goal of the department of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (a 4-year program) is to nurture medicinal researchers and specialist professionals with firm basic academic skills and research capability in the fields of life science and pharmaceutical sciences. Furthermore, the program seeks to develop individuals who are capable of identifying and solving problems, by connecting education that meets the demands for human resources upon the 4-year program with a 2-year masterfs program at graduate school.
At this university, students undergo rigorous curricula in a wonderful learning environment under the guidance of high quality faculty. Moreover, since the university has world-class research facilities, the educational goals set forth by the university can easily be met.
The Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences has two courses. The course of Pharmaceutical Sciences allows students to study pharmaceutical sciences with a sound knowledge of basic scientific research to acquire the necessary skills to be elite researchers in pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry. In addition, to provide the students of this course with opportunities to study medical care and pharmacy training, the university has a unique affiliated Graduate School system including several medical research institutions.
The course in Clinical Pharmacy develops clinical pharmacists who can work as members of clinical teams. Today, the importance of this type of teamwork is being emphasized. Students undergo practical clinical training at hospitals and take special lectures in order to become clinical specialists who possess practical knowledge and skills in the field of medical treatment. In addition, the university has a clinical pharmacy course for people who work in the clinical field, which allows them to acquire a higher level of knowledge and skills in pharmacotherapy.
Moreover, the university is actively addressing the issues of globalization, social contribution, and life-long learning. The university has an interuniversity agreement with thirteen overseas institutions for student and faculty member exchanges.
In addition, our university is the first pharmaceutical university to establish the “Asia/Africa Center for Drug Discovery”, and is currently developing, through academic exchange with other Asian countries, the foundation for the drug discovery platform program.
The life-long learning course for pharmacists welcomes not only our own graduates, but also all pharmacists who wish to advance their skills in line with the diversification of their functions.
Our life-long learning course consists of 3 main fields, specifically a basic skills in pharmacy field addressing dispensing techniques, communication, and self-medication, a herbal medicine field ranging from basic research on herbs to their clinical applications, and a primary care field that focuses on the patient and includes cooperation with the community and other medical professions. This course aims to further cultivate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of talented clinical pharmacists.
Last but not least, the university is concerned about the environment and is in the process of obtaining ISO 14001 certification.
Finally, a message to all of the young people who aspire to study here. Our university is annually ranked in the top 10 nationally for the pass rate of the National Exam for Pharmacists, and has also been highly evaluated with respect to placement rate, having been ranked first among pharmaceutical universities. These achievements indicate that our tradition of looking after each student continues to this day.
We warmly welcome the enrolment of students with strong aspirations to succeed in the field of medicine as a pharmacist, a researcher in the development of new drugs or in the life science.
President Akinori Kubo
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