DKICP Faculty Serves as International Lecturer for Japanese Pharmacy Program

Dr. Aryn Meguro, associate professor of pharmacy practice at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP), traveled to Musashino University in Tokyo, Japan to share her expertise in infectious diseases with pharmacy students. Meguro gave a lecture, presented cases, and held discussions during her visit.

Meguro, who is a graduate of the DKICP Class of 2016 and P2 Teacher of the Year awardee, noted that there is more regulation of the education and practice of pharmacy in Japan than in the USA. The pharmacy textbooks in Japan are mandated by the country, and while pharmacists offer clinical services, their scope of practice is more limited than in the USA. The faculty and students at Musashino were also very interested in learning about pharmacist-provided vaccinations in the USA, since they have yet to deliver these services, but are expected to do so in the future.

In a message to Meguro from Dr. Naomi Nagai, professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Laboratory of Regulatory Science, who coordinated the international visit, “We would like to express our gratitude for your excellent lectures and informative guidance to the students… we can see that the students learned a lot from your class and had meaningful and memorable experiences.”

Musashino University also provides Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) opportunities for DKICP students in Tokyo, with a focus on pharmaceutical manufacturing. The DKICP also has international partnerships with pharmacy programs in the Philippines and Thailand. Additional APPE experiences in rural locations throughout the Pacific are also available in Guam, Saipan, and American Samoa.