Doctoral Program in Pharmacy

Cultivating pharmacists, medical practitioners, and researchers for the frontlines of advanced medicine

The field of pharmacy focuses mainly on providing drug therapy, but in step with advances in medicine, the field needs more advanced human resources.
To respond to these needs, we established the four-year Doctoral Program in Pharmacy. The aim of the program is to produce human resources equipped with the clinical skills and research skills needed to play leading roles on the cutting edge of advanced medicine and individuals who can spearhead advances in community medicine.

Mission

The program aims to produce ethical, mission-driven pharmacists, medical practitioners, and researchers equipped with an expert knowledge of and skills in pharmacy who can contribute to their local communities and the world.

Diploma Policy

Based on the following three educational objectives, the Doctoral Program in Pharmacy will confer a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

(1) Graduates will contribute to the advancement and development of medicine by applying their highly specialized knowledge and skills as pharmacists.
(2) Graduates will contribute to the advancement and development of medicine by bridging basic and clinical research as pharmacists and pharmaceutical researchers.
(3) Graduates will contribute to the advancement and development of academic research in the fields of pharmacy and life science as pharmaceutical researchers.

To complete this doctoral program, students must remain enrolled for at least four years (the standard period of enrollment), earn at least 30 credits, and submit a doctoral dissertation and pass the doctoral dissertation screening and final examination after having received the necessary research supervision.

[Doctoral Dissertation Screening Standards]

The conferral of doctoral degrees is based on a comprehensive assessment of whether the submitted doctoral dissertation possesses originality, academic or applicable value, and a high degree of completeness, and whether the doctoral degree candidate has the specialized research capability required of researchers and advanced professionals in the major field, a wealth of scholarly knowledge to serve as the basis for said capability, and a strong sense of ethics in relation to academic research.

Curriculum Policy

(1) Students take major subjects in the specializations of Clinical Pharmacy and Pathophysiological Analysis, which enables them to acquire knowledge not only in the specializations, but also in a wide range of areas from basic pharmacy to clinical pharmacy.
(2) Research for Doctor in Pharmacy 1-4 incorporate a system that enables support for students pursuing wide-ranging research from an interdisciplinary perspective while receiving supervision from their main and assistant supervisors.
(3) To cultivate advanced pharmacists, Clinical Pharmacist Education Program 1-4 have been established in cooperation with a university medical school to provide students with learning under the supervision of physicians and pharmacists primarily in the fields of chemotherapy, infectious disease treatment, hospital infection control measures, and drug therapy for pregnant and lactating women.
(4) Many seminars have been established to further enhance the information dissemination and communication skills that students gained in the undergraduate program and enable them to make practical use of these skills. A support system is also in place to encourage students to present their work at venues both in Japan and overseas.

Admissions Policy

The program seeks individuals who have high ethical standards as medical professionals, a desire to solve problems, and the motivation to contribute to and play an active role in advanced medical care and drug development by acquiring advanced expertise and pursuing cutting-edge research.

Specializations and Subjects

The Doctoral Program in Pharmacy does not provide students with “one-size-fits-all” supervision; rather, it offers supervision tailored to each student’s careers goals, skills, and backgrounds.
Upon entering the program, students choose one of two research specializations that will guide their course of study. They pursue research with the aim of acquiring the expertise they will need in their future careers.

Pharmaceutical Healthcare

Students in this specialization learn clinical pharmacy and medical informatics focused on the appropriate use of drugs and clinical testing methods for clinical trials. They study pathogenic microbiology and infectious diseases with a focus on preventing infections in hospitals and the proper application and management of microorganisms. They also study pharmacokinetics, which provides a systematic approach to every process from the absorption and distribution of drugs to how they are metabolized and excreted.
Pathophysiological Analysis

In this specialization, students examine the pathogenesis of diseases and how drugs work on them, which leads to an understanding of the basics of drug discovery. In other words, they cover a range of fields including biochemistry, physiology, genomics, and the assessment of the effects of pharmaceuticals and environmental chemicals on the body through the lens of public health chemistry, toxicology, and bioanalysis.

The curriculum in the Department of Doctoral Program in Pharmacy is as follows.
Specialized subjects that have advanced pharmacy education are systematically arranged so that they can be reflected and embodied in special research in each field.

Major Subjects

While focusing primarily on one specialization, students can also take subjects from the other specialization to expand their expertise and provide them with a wide range of pharmaceutical knowledge from the fundamental to the applied clinical level.
Special Studies

In the four-year Special Studies program, students receive supervision from their main and assistant supervisors as they pursue wide-ranging research from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Clinical Pharmacist Education Program

In these seminars, the Graduate School teams up with university medical schools and other institutions in an effort to produce advanced pharmacists. Under the supervision of physicians and pharmacists, students will learn about chemotherapy, the treatment of infectious diseases, how to control infections in hospitals, and drug therapy for pregnant and lactating women.
Seminars

There are many seminars on offer to provide students with the ability to disseminate information, communication skills, and other practical skills. These classes are also designed to support and encourage students to present their work at venues both inside and outside the university.

Course Models

Seven Course Models based on Our Ideal Graduates

1. Model for students aiming to become advanced pharmacists with research capacity rooted in a broad knowledge of pharmacy

This model offers practical Special Studies in clinical pharmacy for students aiming to become advanced pharmacists with the ability to conduct research in clinical pharmacy. As major subjects, students will take Advanced Course of Pharmacotherapy and Advanced Course of Molecular Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, and they are also recommended to take Advanced Course of Healthcare Informatics, in which they will learn how to gather and manage medical information, as well as Advanced Course of Pharmaceutical Safety Sciences and Advanced Course of The Side Effects.
2. Model for students who aiming to become highly skilled pharmacists (clinical pharmacy) upon completion
* Excluding adult learners

In this model, students will learn about practical clinical testing at Shiga University of Medical Science Hospital and gain the expertise they will need to work as CRCs or pharmacists for CROs. It will also prepare them for future certification examinations. As major subjects, students are recommended to take Advanced Course of Pharmaceutical Safety Sciences, Advanced Course of The Side Effects, Advanced Course of Healthcare Informatics, and Advanced Course of Pharmacotherapy. They must also take Clinical Pharmacist Education Program 1.
3. Model for students aiming to become highly skilled pharmacists (pharmacy for pregnant and lactating women) upon completion
* Excluding adult learners

In this model, students will engage in practical learning at Shiga University of Medical Science Hospital and gain the expertise, skills, and ethical outlook they will need to provide drug therapy to pregnant and lactating women. It will also prepare them for future certification examinations. As major subjects, students are recommended to take Advanced Course of Pharmaceutical Safety Sciences, Advanced Course of The Side Effects, Advanced Course of Healthcare Informatics, and Advanced Course of Pharmacotherapy. They must also take Clinical Pharmacist Education Program 1.
4. Model for students aiming to become highly skilled pharmacists (Certified Infection Control Pharmacy Specialists or Board-Certified Pharmacists in Oncology Pharmacy) upon completion
* Excluding adult learners

This model is for students aiming to become board certified pharmacists in oncology pharmacy or other areas. At Kansai Medical University Hospital, students will learn about practical methods for controlling infectious diseases in hospitals and chemotherapy regimens, and they will conduct research into the proper use of antimicrobials and chemotherapy and how to prevent infections in hospitals. This course model will also prepare them for future certification examinations. As major subjects, students are recommended to take Advanced Course of Microbes and Clinical Manifestations, Advanced Course of Pharmacotherapy, Advanced Course of Molecular Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, Advanced Course of Pharmaceutical Safety Sciences, and Advanced Course of The Side Effects. They must also take the Clinical Pharmacist Education Program.
5. Model for students aiming to become pharmacists who can contribute to community medicine or self-medication after completing a six-year medical school program

This model offers practical Special Studies in community medicine for students aiming to become pharmacists who can contribute to the field. As major subjects, students will take Advanced Course of Pharmacotherapy, and they are also recommended to take Advanced Course of Healthcare Informatics, in which they will learn how to gather and manage medical information, as well as Advanced Course of Pharmaceutical Safety Sciences, and Advanced Course of The Side Effects.
6. Model for students who want to use their pharmaceutical expertise for a career in medical administration or the research department of a pharmaceutical company

This model offers practical Special Studies in clinical pharmacy for students aiming to become Pharmacist-Scientists who can put their advanced knowledge of pharmacy to work in the field of medical administration or for the clinical research department of a pharmaceutical company. As major subjects, students are recommended to take Advanced Course of Pharmaceutical Safety Sciences, Advanced Course of The Side Effects, and Advanced Course of Healthcare Informatics.
7. Model for students aiming to become the next generation of pharmacy school faculty who can advance the molecular research of living things and diseases after completing a six-year medical school program

Students who want to become researchers who teach and conduct research at pharmacy schools must have a deep understanding of the physiology and pathology of living bodies at the molecular level in addition to an advanced knowledge of pharmaceutical healthcare. In this model, students will engage in in-depth research in their Special Studies classes, and they are expected to take a good balance of the major subjects of their specialization and the major subjects in the other specialization in order to develop a broad knowledge of and approaches to pharmacy.