PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES KYUSHU UNIVERSITY

The School of Pharmaceutical Sciences was established in April 1950 as the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences within the Faculty of Medicine. The Faculty of Medicine, however, first saw the Kuroda domain establish an educational institution for western medicine called "Sanseikan" in 1867. Based on this institution, the Meiji government created Kyoto Imperial University Fukuoka Medical College in April, 1903. After that, Kyushu Imperial University was set up in January, 1911, and Kyoto Imperial University Fukuoka Medical College became Kyushu Imperial University Medical College in April of that year. Then, the Medical College was renamed as Kyushu Imperial University Faculty of Medicine. After the Second World War, it became the Faculty of Medicine of Kyushu University in October, 1947. It is from such history that the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, within the Faculty of Medicine, was established in April, 1950. Finally, the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences became independent with the addition of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. As a result, pharmaceutical students used to study with medical students in the same classroom, and the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences is now closely related in both research and education to the Faculty of Medicine. Thus, it can be said that the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences originally began from 1867.

The Department of Medicinal Sciences offers fundamental studies such as chemical pharmaceutical science, physical pharmaceutical science, biological pharmaceutical science, environmental pharmaceutical science, and medical pharmaceutical science. Students will take those subjects associating with one another, and master advanced knowledge and techniques about them. While students take an interdisciplinary approach, they are also required to master their specialty. It is not sufficient for researchers to simply acquire knowledge; they must also develop the abilities to actively find and solve problems. Therefore the Department of Medicinal Sciences offers various educational programs to gain such abilities. The curriculum for the undergraduate program prepares students with the fundamental knowledge necessary to become pharmaceutical researchers and leaders because we have a curriculum designed for those who wish to continue to study in the Master's program. However, completing the undergraduate program is not enough to gain problem finding and solving skills. It is necessary to enhance and develop the abilities through advanced education and research in the Master's or Doctoral programs.

As mentioned above, a characteristic of our educational program is to learn basic subjects such as chemistry, biology, and other subjects in the context of human bodies, diseases, and medicines. During this program, students will undertake a foundational education for three years, and will work on a thesis to gain applied skills during the fourth year. When students begin their graduation thesis, they will be assigned to a laboratory to help improve problem-solving skills and experience cutting-edge research under experienced faculty members. In the first three years of the foundational education, students are required to take lectures in chemical, physical, biological, environmental, and medical sciences that are related to medicinal sciences to master basic skills to deal with diverse and advanced medicinal sciences and biological sciences. Additionally, we offer a course to train students to become pharmaceutical organic chemists or pharmaceutical biological scientists. Consequently, we have a variety of curriculums designed to cultivate human resources with distinctive characteristics.

The Department of Medicinal Sciences addresses the following:

1. Focusing on a wide range of education including the humanities as well as natural sciences.
2. Providing opportunities to experience basic expert education and on-site training during the early years of the program to clarify their purpose of learning and increase their motivation, alongside gaining fundamental academic abilities as well.
3. Conducting education on learning different cultures and languages, as well as offering the opportunity to present research findings in English in order to acquire the skill necessary to be active internationally.

The Department of Medicinal Sciences addresses the following:

The Department of Medicinal Sciences provides mainly lectures, practical training and seminars during the first three years. The faculty members of the Department of Medicinal Sciences and Clinical Pharmacy will be responsible for expert pharmaceutical education, aside from other subjects such as social sciences or language cultures, and so on. The graduation thesis (Special Practical Training) during the fourth year will be tutorial supported by the faculty members of both departments.

About Qualification for National Examination for Pharmacists

Students who have graduated from the Department of Medicinal Sciences or completed the Master's program are not qualified to take the national examination for pharmacists. In some cases, it may be possible to take the examination by gaining the prescribed credits, which includes work experience or practical trainings after completion of the Master's degree.

Since the Department of Medicinal Sciences aim to cultivate researchers who play an active role as pharmaceutical professionals, we seek students who are sophisticated and filled with a sense of responsibility to help develop new medicines. It goes without saying that students must possess sufficient basic academic abilities. In particular, we welcome students who hold a strong interest in such sciences as chemistry, biology, and physics. Students are also required to have a basic level of English skills that is good enough to participate actively in this field internationally.

The environment surrounding pharmacists has changed dramatically due to sophisticated and diversified medical care, an advent of aging society, and separation of dispensing from medical practice. Under these circumstances, pharmacists are required to play variety roles in disparate fields. This includes providing the most appropriate medical treatment, offering patient compliance instruction and safety advice, and so on. Universities and other educational institutions are expected to cultivate pharmacists with the utmost quality, allowing them to provide education as healthcare professionals as well as practical skills for the forefront of medicine, whilst equipping them with the basic knowledge, techniques, and moral sensitivities as pharmacists. The Department of Clinical Pharmacy at Kyushu University carries the educational vision to cultivate personnel who conduct high quality education for pharmacists as healthcare professionals, and will lead the future of medical pharmacy with their broad perspectives and enriched humanity.

While the Department of Clinical Pharmacy offers the systematic teaching of chemical pharmaceutical, physical pharmaceutical and biological pharmaceutical subjects as basic pharmaceutical sciences, we conduct basic and clinical education of advanced medical pharmacy to help students acquire the practical skills necessary for clinical pharmacy. Our aim is to cultivate pharmacists who have broad perspectives as healthcare professionals and take leading roles in the forefront of medicine.

The Department of Clinical Pharmacy is comprised mainly of two terms: the first three years as a preceding term and the last three years as latter term. Students will focus on basic pharmaceutical subjects during the first term, and during the second term, they will take subjects on medical pharmacy and practical pharmaceutical subjects which are necessary for professional education to become a pharmacist. For students who passed the Pharmaceutical Common Achievement Test (taken during the fourth year to guarantee that a student has already acquired the basic knowledge, skills, and attitude for practical training prior to beginning the actual training at a pharmacy or hospital), we conduct long-term practical training to develop pharmacists as healthcare professionals and provide opportunities to experience pharmacist practice through the fifth and sixth year. Students will have opportunities to do practical training at both a hospital and pharmacy, which takes a total of five months. In addition, we offer two-month lectures and practice before the commencement of practical training.

The Department of Clinical Pharmacy addresses the following:

1. Focusing on a wide range of education including the humanities as well as natural sciences.
2. Providing opportunities to experience basic expert education and on-site training during the early years of the program to clarify their purpose of learning and increase their motivation, alongside gaining fundamental academic abilities as well.
3. Nurturing human and moral sensibilities as healthcare professionals through practical experience.
4. Providing expert education to develop strong practical abilities.
5. Providing an education conducive to the development of educators or researchers in clinical pharmacy.

Educational Training System

The faculty members of both the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Department of Medicinal Sciences cooperate with one another to provide students with opportunities to learn chemical pharmaceutical science, physical pharmaceutical science, and biological pharmaceutical sciences, which are necessary subjects to become a pharmacist, alongside an advanced medical pharmacy and clinical education. The practical training will be instructed by pharmacists who are actively working on the medical frontline as well as faculty members.

About Qualifications for National Examination for Pharmacists

Students will be qualified for the national examination for pharmacists once they have graduated from the Department of Clinical Pharmacy.

Since the Department of Clinical Pharmacy aims to cultivate personnel to take leading roles among pharmacists as medical professionals, we seek students who possess all-round academic ability, of course, but also hold a strong interest in science, and are capable to grow a sense of responsibility as an active member of society and moral sensitivities as a member of medical care.