[Drug Information Provided to Patients and Public-Present Regulatory Status and Future Prospects].

When taking a drug one must keep in mind certain risks and benefits based on the safety and efficacy information. One of the most reliable sources of information that enables patients to use drugs properly is package inserts, which are regulated under the law and therefore should include valid and accurate contents. With the recent revision of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act, the information contained in the package insert, which was provided together with the drug, will now also be provided electronically and separately from the drug itself. In addition, a digital code will be displayed on the product packaging so that the latest information of the drug can be obtained from outside the package by scanning the code. The more drug information gets shared among healthcare professionals, patients and the public, the less the asymmetry in drug information among them will exist. It is necessary now more than ever to establish a framework and a system to ensure that sufficient information is provided to patients and the public to encourage their proper use of drugs. I believe that it is important for patients and the public to strive for a better understanding of drug information. It is also crucial for all relevant parties involved in drug information to work together on how best to utilize the information. In this way they would keep trying so that therapeutic effects could be maximized and the risks of side effects are minimized.

[Perspectives on educational reform of pharmaceutical science].

The six-year system of pharmaceutical education in Japan has started this fiscal year, based on the amendment to the two related laws, namely "The Pharmacist Law" and "The Fundamental Law of Education". This new system is expected to produce future pharmacists who will be able to contribute to raising the level of pharmaceutical care in the national medical care system. The practical training for pharmaceutical care that future pharmacists will have is an important safety measure for pharmaceuticals in the medical care system, so that producing qualified pharmacists would be supported by the people. For this purpose we will help to improve the training system, and the circumstances where future pharmacists will be able to realize their ideal pharmaceutical care.