The six-year education and practical training system in Japanese pharmaceutical university education

　　Undergraduate programmes at Japanese universities normally last four years, with the exception of some programmes that take six years. Examples include medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, with pharmacy changing from a four-year to a six-year programme in 2006. The introduction of a two-year study period after the conventional four-year pharmacy education has led to the introduction of a curriculum designed to develop advanced problem-solving skills as a medical professional and a programme called practical training in pharmacy（薬学実務実習）, in which students receive practical education in an actual medical setting.

　　In Japan's six-year pharmacy education system, after four years of basic education, and students pass an examination called the CBT or OSCE, they move on to the next grade. On fifth-year pharmacy students undergo six months of practical training at medical institutions. In addition to three months of practical training in a pharmacy, students also undergo another three months of practical training in a hospital. the move to a six-year pharmacy education enables students to learn in a practical medical environment before they enter society as pharmacists.

　　This is followed by approximately one year of study, followed by a graduation examination and the national pharmacist examination. Although the path of study at the six-year pharmacy school is steep and involves many hardships, I believe that the knowledge developed through this study will continue to contribute to solving business and social problems not only in pharmacies and hospitals, but also in many other areas of work.

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〔References〕
Japanese Society of Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences HP