30-Year Partnership With Tokyo University Fuels Educational Exchange in Pharmacy Practice

Elisabeth Fall

The UCSF School of Pharmacy celebrated the 30th anniversary of its long-standing partnership with the Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences program by hosting visiting faculty and students to learn about the advanced and evolving roles of pharmacy practice in the United States.

Judie Tran

Students and faculty from the UCSF School of Pharmacy and Tokyo University.

From Jan. 21 to 30, UCSF welcomed six TUPLS pharmacy students and one faculty member for an immersive training experience. The TUPLS visitors participated in lectures led by UCSF and Stanford clinical pharmacists, highlighting the advanced roles of clinical pharmacists in hospital care, ambulatory settings, specialty pharmacy and in the management of high-cost medications through personalized patient care and medication optimization.

The program also included sessions on UCSF’s evolving curriculum, which integrates artificial intelligence in pharmacy education. UCSF student organizations further enriched the experience by sharing their outreach efforts and dedication to improving patient care in the community.

A highlight of the visit was the opportunity for TUPLS students to spend several days shadowing UCSF residents and Advanced Practice Pharmacy Experience students in acute care settings, where they gained first-hand experience of the critical role pharmacists play in hospital environments.

Elisabeth Fall

Visiting students from the Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences program shadow UCSF residents and pharmacy students on Ward Day at UCSF.

Mandy Brown, residency program director at UCSF Health, emphasized the significance of this collaboration: “Ward Day showcases the essential contributions of clinical pharmacists as integral members of interdisciplinary care teams. Through this experience, students see how pharmacists drive improved patient outcomes by optimizing medication therapy and address complex needs of hospitalized patients.”

Judie Tran, PharmD, who leads the partnership and is the school’s PharmD Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience director, added, “Our partnership provides TUPLS students with a truly unique and diverse experience that captures the many facets of clinical pharmacy in the United States.” From personalized presentations to immersive site visits and shadowing opportunities, she said the program is designed to inspire the students as future leaders in pharmacy and offer insights into the evolving direction of pharmacy practice.

Since its inception in 1995, the school’s Department of Clinical Pharmacy and TUPLS have maintained a strong partnership to promote collaborative teaching and research, which has been both educationally and culturally rewarding. Over the past three decades, more than 450 TUPLS students have come to UCSF to immerse themselves in pharmacy practice in the United States.

Judie Tran

As part of the international exchange, a UCSF School of Pharmacy faculty member spends one week in Tokyo annually. In early December 2024, Tran traveled to Tokyo, where she participated in seminars at Tokyo University, led lectures on clinical pharmacy, and advised TUPLS colleagues on curriculum development.