[Japan Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation: Career Notes from Senior Pharmacists] Charting a path to enhancing the value of pharmacists: An interview with Japan Pharmaceutical Association board member Hidaka Reo (日髙玲於)

The Public Relations Department of the Japan Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation introduces how Hidaka Reo (日髙玲於) was selected as the youngest board member of the Japan Pharmaceutical Association and explains his longstanding interest in expanding pharmacists’ professional role. His experience providing home healthcare as a community pharmacist and studying health economics were cited as factors behind his appointment to the board. Looking ahead to the future role of pharmacists, he expressed a desire to promote collaboration among healthcare professionals in areas such as end-of-life care.

He said that pharmacists will need to strengthen patient-facing services in addition to dispensing-related operations, and should become more actively involved in medication reviews to optimize patients’ pharmacotherapy. The new concept of dispensing presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan calls for pharmacists to integrate medication and patient information and provide individualized pharmacotherapy on an ongoing basis.

The article introduced the long-term goals in the national guidelines for securing pharmacists, as well as examples of establishing regional healthcare systems using public funds, to address shortages and uneven distribution of pharmacists across regions. It pointed to the importance of creating systems that communicate the appeal of working in regional communities through initiatives by government and the private sector, including a dispatch program in Hokkaido and a scholarship scheme in Saga Prefecture. In education, it referred to curriculum revisions and the introduction of rubric-based assessment, emphasizing the need to develop the practical skills expected of pharmacists and a perspective focused on supporting patients’ daily lives.