A Message from the President

　I have been appointed as the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan (PSJ) from March 26th, 2025. The PSJ was established in 1880 under the leadership of its first president, Nagai Nagayoshi, and this year marks its 145th anniversary. The PSJ plays a significant role in society, and I feel humbled to know that I will be the 73rd, and the first female president. In these days when the scale, content, and speed of change are astonishingly large, we are faced with a major challenge of how our society can take the lead in developing.

Itsuko Ishii, Ph.D.
President,
The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan

　The PSJ is run by a board of directors under the General Assembly of Delegates, with 18 standing committees and two special committees. Eight branches and ten divisions are academic units, each of which has been active. In particular, the society has been proactive in pursuing specialization and has achieved research results. However, social world has changed faster than expected, and we are now in an era where drug discovery cannot be achieved with just one specialization.

　It has been almost 20 years since the six-year pharmaceutical education system was introduced in Japan. At the same time, the role of pharmacists in the clinical field has changed significantly. Pharmacists, who used to focus mainly on medicines, now spend more time with patients and evaluate the efficacy and safety of medication. We are now in an era where the needs for drug discovery in the medical field come not only from medical doctors but also from pharmacists.

　Pharmaceutical science is a study that specializes in "medicines and drugs," and is the study of "creating medicines," "clarifying the mechanism of action of medicines and drugs," and "using medicines adequately." The PSJ is an academic society with members from a variety of positions, including researchers, manufacturers, pharmacists, government officials, and students. We believe that by respecting diversity and actively exchanging information among these members, it will be possible to integrate and collaborate across fields, and that the PSJ will be able to realize drug discovery for patients.

　Finally, PSJ will provide an environment in which young researchers can have hope for the future and pharmacy students can enjoy the academic discipline of pharmaceutical sciences.