[Pharmaceutical Research and Education].

The true central aim of pharmaceutical research and education is to strive for the patient's satisfaction, i.e., "for the sake of the patient". Our research focuses to bridge the gap between the ideal and current situation in pharmaceutical science. We also investigated/questioned the united roles of pharmacists and pharmacies, with the ambition of changing the work culture of pharmacists. This paper reviews the history of our research and discusses the future of pharmaceutical research and education.

[Analysis of Learner Characteristics Affecting Learning Outcomes in the Field of Pharmaceutical Law].

To contribute to research on the effective practice of pharmaceutical law, we analyzed the learner characteristics that influence learning outcomes in this field at Kitasato University School of Pharmacy. Specifically, we conducted a forced entry multiple regression analysis. The explanatory variables were the learner's gender, course, university entrance examination format, course year progression, completion of related subjects, and submission of class quizzes, while examination performance in pharmaceutical law was the response variable. The learners' course of study and submission of class quizzes were found to have a significant influence on the examination results. The examination performance of students enrolled in a four-year course was 14.4% lower than students enrolled in a six-year course, while students with records of not submitting the class quizzes scored 8.4% lower than those who submitted all the quizzes. It is probable that there was a fundamental difference between the academic ability of the students enrolled in the two courses that affected the examination results. The fact that the submission of class quizzes had an effect on the examination results may be useful in developing a learning guide for the students. To further enhance the evidence of the analysis of learner characteristics in this field, obtaining the results of joint research with other universities is necessary.

[Efficient Discovery of Ligands Targeting Poor Lipid-signaling Metabolic Enzymes, as Facilitated by Activity-based Protein Profiling].

Despite a continuous increase in R&D spending on potential new medicines, the success rate of drug development has not improved. The pharmaceutical industry is now facing a major challenge. As a college student who was studying pharmaceutical sciences in Japan, I became passionate about developing a new technology that would allow us to efficiently discover novel drug targets and selective chemical ligands for these targets. This realization encouraged me to join the PhD program at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in 2013, where I carried out thesis research focusing on ligand discovery for poorly characterized metabolic enzymes for lipid signaling under the guidance of Prof. Benjamin Cravatt. TSRI is a unique place where researchers with different backgrounds collaborate frequently to conduct highly interdisciplinary research with the goal of translating cutting-edge research into clinical use. In this column, I am sharing my experiences as a PhD student at TSRI. I hope this column will be a useful source of information for younger students considering going abroad for a PhD degree.

[The Challenges of a Female Scientist Studying Abroad with Her Children at the University of Geneva].

My dream was to study abroad someday. Just after earning my Ph.D., I married and soon had children. I have had a busy life since then, balancing work with childcare, and thus had almost given up on my dream. How lucky-a chance suddenly came to me! I had an opportunity to study at the University of Geneva. In my case, the issue to overcome for this study abroad was how my family would be dealt with. After consulting with my family, I decided to take two daughters with me to Switzerland. Although I had a bit of a hard time, I managed to lead a fruitful life thanks to a good environment for bringing up children, as well as the support I received from a number of people. I realize that had I been alone, I would have finished my research faster. On the other hand, life with my children gave me the opportunity to gain some precious experiences, for example, the chance to interact with other parents at school as well as with neighbors and my local community. These experiences would not have been possible if my daughters had not been with me. Their presence, and the added interactions this brought, not only forced me to better understand the local and traditional cultures, but also enhanced my communication skills beyond the academic setting. I think there are many benefits to studying abroad with children. In this paper, I would like to describe my experiences for female researchers.

Student Performance with Standalone Calculations Course vs Combined Pharmaceutics-Calculations Course.

Objective. To determine whether a standalone pharmacy calculations course promotes student performance and retention when compared to pharmacy calculations taught within a pharmaceutics course. Methods. Data were compared between two groups of student pharmacists (those who took the combined pharmaceutics-calculations course and those who took the standalone calculations course). Data from both groups, such as course grades, objective structured clinical evaluation (OSCE) scores, and independent calculation self-assessment skills test scores were compared to students' pre-pharmacy math grade point average (GPA) to determine whether variance was more likely to have been caused by inter-student aptitude differences or course structure differences. Student confidence in their pharmacy calculations skills and course structure preferences was surveyed. Results. Students who took the standalone pharmaceutical calculations course performed better as indicated by an improvement in calculations course grades, OSCE performance, retention of calculation skills, and in self-confidence. Students also reported that the standalone course structure was more effective. Conclusion. The new, standalone calculations course is effective and improved student calculations performance and retention.

An evaluation of student performance and perceptions within an integrated pharmaceutics course sequence.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To describe the design of an integrated pharmaceutics course sequence and to assess the sequence by evaluating both student performance and perceptions. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: The non-sterile products portion of a pharmaceutics course sequence was designed to integrate the disciplines of physical pharmacy, dosage forms, pharmacy compounding, and pharmaceutical calculations and to include the respective topics deemed most relevant to doctor of pharmacy curriculum. The appropriate course content was organized in a modular format that began with the general concepts of drug product administration, preparation, stability, and performance and then specifically applied these concepts to a variety of non-sterile dosage forms. FINDINGS: Student performance was assessed through several cumulative exams and lab practicals. Mean performance on these assessments was at a level generally considered to be adequate within the study institution. However, students performed better on the assessments having a lesser emphasis on physical pharmacy (p < 0.05) and a greater focus on basic skill development (p < 0.05). Student perceptions were evaluated using a survey instrument that had a useable response rate of 93%. Each course design element was utilized by a majority of respondents and was generally perceived as being beneficial to student learning. SUMMARY: The collected data indicate that the integrated course design facilitated the learning of applicable pharmaceutics-related topics and support the use of a number of different design elements. In addition, this study provides valuable insights for others providing professional-level pharmaceutics-related education and has helped guide our own course improvement efforts.