Departments have been established in three key fields in the world of pharmacology.
Training the pharmacists needed for 21st-century medical care
In the 21st century, the focus of medical care is shifting to personalized drug therapy and prevention of disease development. In addition, greater importance is being given to the appropriate use of pharmaceutical products and prevention of medical malpractice due to the growing concern over medical accidents. Pharmacists play a major role in all these issues. Yokohama University of Pharmacy aims to nurture pharmacists with the ability to meet modern demands.
A major transformation of medical care
According to a 2005 survey by the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, one in five of the Japanese population was aged 65 or older, and by 2020 that proportion had increased to around one in three. This rise in the number of older people inevitably places a greater burden on medical practice. The reality of over-prescription and excessive testing has also become clear.
Covering a broad range of pharmacological fields and achieving patient-centered medical care
Amid this situation, there is a massive need for personalized drug therapy in view of their specific clinical symptoms and value systems, both in order to eliminate the side effects of drugs and reduce unnecessary costs, and to keep the health insurance system solvent.
The importance of preventive medicine is also coming into focus, based on measures including disease prevention by means such as lifestyle improvements and self-treatment by patients with mild conditions to prevent them from becoming severe.
These contemporary needs mean that pharmacists will be called upon to play ever more important roles in future, while also bearing a heavier responsibility for preventing the sorts of medical and pharmacological errors that have been widely reported in recent years.
At Yokohama University of Pharmacy, in addition to the conventional fields of pharmacy, we also cover kampo medicine (traditional Japanese herbal medicine) and community environments, offering six-year courses in three departments - Health Pharmacy, Kampo Pharmacy, and Clinical Pharmacy - with the objective of training pharmacists capable of practicing patient-centered medical care and contributing to self-medication.
Practical training based on the latest Model Core Curriculum for Pharmacy Education
In 2002, the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan published the "Model Core Curriculum for Pharmacy Education" to enhance pharmacy education to prepare for the introduction of six-year pharmacy education. In line with this Model Core Curriculum as well as the recommendations of the Council of Research and Study Collaborators on Improving and Enhancing Pharmacy Education, Yokohama University of Pharmacy has developed a six-year curriculum covering a broad range of liberal arts and clinical pharmacy subjects and long-term practical training to develop pharmacists with the ability to contribute to "tailor-made medical care" and "preventive medicine."
Training technical experts with a "pharmaceutical mindset" via drug discovery research integrating pharmacy, medicine, and engineering
The four-year course at Yokohama University of Pharmacy trains technical experts who can engage in drug discovery research integrating pharmacy, medicine, and engineering and contribute to the bio-tech industries, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cosmetics, and food, as well as producing students with a pharmaceutical mindset who will go on to graduate studies in bioscience-related fields such as pharmacy, science, engineering, basic medical science, and agriculture.
Distinctive education at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
-
- Training for a career in drug discovery
- With learning focused mainly on the drug discovery process of identifying new drugs, this course aims to train individuals who are able to contribute to people's health and welfare in the broadest sense, from drug-discovery-related businesses (such as the creation, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical products) to health foods, cosmetics, and environmental and public health-related fields.
-
- In-depth education and research activities
- Students come to understand the actual conditions of research by means of joint research projects and internships with not only pharmaceutical corporations but also companies involved in kampo medication, food, cosmetics, and medical devices. This enables them to acquire research and development skills beyond conventional new drug development.
-
- Varied career paths that broaden individuals' potential
- So that each individual student can choose a career path appropriate to their aptitude and ambitions, the university offers a range of career guidance from freshman year on. After graduation, our graduates can work successfully in industries as diverse as pharmaceuticals (manufacture and sales), food, and education-related fields.
Students who aspire to become researchers or technical experts can go on to graduate school, where they will acquire even more advanced knowledge and techniques.
-
- Licensing as junior high school or high school science teachers
- Our university has established Kanagawa Prefecture's only teacher-training course within a school of pharmacy. Students can utilize their specialist knowledge of drugs acquired while enrolled in the university, as well as their experimental skills learned in the process of practical training and research, as essential skills for science teaching.
