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In an exciting first for the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, in spring a small group of undergraduate pharmacy students travelled across the Pacific Ocean for a two-week intensive visit to Japan. 

Hosted by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Toho University in Chiba prefecture, the experience followed nearly a year of collaborative planning on the part of Michael Doschak, director of the faculty’s international initiatives, and Mizuho Takahashi at Toho University. 

Four Edmonton students — chosen due to their recent volunteering as hosts for undergraduate students on exchange from Japan — took part in this inaugural visit, paying their own travel costs. Exploring pharmacy education, pharmaceutical sciences research and clinical pharmacy practice at both Toho University and Meiji Pharmaceutical University, they enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about differences in international pharmacy practice while deepening relationships with their hosts. 

Here, we share excerpts from feedback brought by each of the four students as we look forward to more opportunities to provide valuable experiences like these.

Selina He: Japan has one of the highest quality health-care systems in the world, supporting one of the oldest yet healthiest populations. I am grateful to have had a visit packed with days full of learning, reconnecting with students I met during their visit to Alberta, building new relationships with pharmacy peers and eating plenty of delicious food.

Every pharmacist we interacted with was so willing to teach us about their practice and answer our questions. I was particularly interested to learn that Japanese community pharmacists often conduct home visits to deliver medications, counsel and assess adherence — an effective model of delivering care that supports their aging population. I also appreciated learning the small differences in workflow based on our different cultures and environments. For instance, most medications in Japan are packaged in blister packs or unit-doses rather than in bottles to support adherence and maintain stability in the warm, humid climate. This inspired me to think about what strategies can be applied in Alberta that better reflect our culture and environment.

One of the most memorable parts of the trip was reconnecting with students I had met during their visit to the º£½ÇÉçÇø and meeting new students, including a few that will be visiting the º£½ÇÉçÇø this fall. Opportunities like this remind me of the importance of building international relationships and I am incredibly grateful.

From left: º£½ÇÉçÇø pharmacy students Fletcher Liu, Selina He, Avery Quema and Matthew Williams at Toho University in Japan	º£½ÇÉçÇø students at the Toho University Ohashi Medical Center with Mizuho Takahashi and the hospital pharmacists
The students learn how to conduct physical assessments.	Compounding shiunko, a traditional Japanese herbal anti-inflammatory ointment

Matthew Williams: Japan will always have a special place in my heart after this trip. From the relationships I built, to the crowded trains and pristine mountain-fed streams, my time there has left me with memories to cherish forever. 

At Toho University, I enjoyed learning about kampo — traditional Japanese herbal medicines mostly used by older Japanese people. We made an ointment called shiunko by frying two different roots in sesame oil, releasing the pharmacologically active ingredient acetylshikonin. Shiunko can be applied to burnt or damaged skin to help improve healing. 

At Meiji University, we reconnected with students who visited the º£½ÇÉçÇø in 2024 and met the manager of the university-run pharmacy who works in a palliative-care team. He supports palliative patients in pain control by providing intravenous oxycodone or morphine via a portable infusion pump. I found his innovation in the face of some of the strictest drug control measures in the world empowering and I plan to bring this energy into my practice upon graduation.