Achievements and Problems Resulting from the Reform of Pharmaceutical Science Education

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  • 薬学教育改革の成果と課題
  • 薬学教育改革の成果と課題 : 二段階の「出口」-「就職」と「国家試験」に着目して
  • ヤクガク キョウイク カイカク ノ セイカ ト カダイ : ニ ダンカイ ノ 「 デグチ 」-「 シュウショク 」 ト 「 コッカ シケン 」 ニ チャクモク シテ
  • Focusing on Post-graduate Career Courses and the National Qualifying Exam for Pharmacists
  • 二段階の「出口」―「就職」と「国家試験」に着目して

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<p>　 The purpose of this study is to identify the achievements and problems that can be seen in the results of the Pharmaceutical Science education Reform from two points of view; (1) post-graduate courses aimed at pharmaceutical students, (2) the National Qualification Examination for pharmacists and its determining factors.</p><p>　Faculties of Pharmaceutical Science in Japan have undergone major changes in recent years. The length of the curriculum to train pharmacists has been extended from 4 years to 6 years, and with a view to enhancing their specialist knowledge, this has been established as a common feature in all higher education pharmaceutical training. In addition, the number of Faculties of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Japan and student quotas have increased rapidly over the last 23 years.</p><p>　In spite of the above situation, the constituent factors have not been the subject of detailed study. This is why I decided to focus on “search for employment” and “the National Qualification Examination”, because these two viewpoints most clearly manifest the influence of the education reform.</p><p>　The results of the analysis of post-graduate courses show clearly that the percentage of Pharmacy students who take up employment in a clinical site, for example in a hospital or a dispensing pharmacy, has increased since the reform.</p><p>　As a separate item, the results of the National Qualification Examination for pharmacists show a decreasing trend in the pass rate. Moreover, the result of a panel data analysis of the examination referred to above shows that the pass rate is determined by the basic academic skills of students at the time of university enrollment, in spite of the existence of a common curriculum and a common achievement test at the fourth grade.</p><p>　These results lead to the following two conclusions. Firstly, as a result of the reform, more than 60% of pharmaceutical graduates decide to take up employment in a clinical site after graduation. Secondly, as an ongoing problem that needs to be addressed, a number of graduates are unsuccessful in the professional qualifying examination and consequently cannot take up employment in a clinical site, despite having had specialized education for 6 years and having followed a common curriculum.</p>

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