Pharmacy in Japan vs USA - so much to learn!

Today as students we got some great information from Akaho Sensei and Kohei Sensei about how pharmacy in Japan operates.

Akaho Sensei educated us on the current health care system in Japan and further elaborated on what an optimal health care system would look like in any country. Akaho Sensei then informed us about dispensing practices in Japan, going over the new health care dispensing fee system that is revised every 2 years, with the newest revision occurring in 2016.

After lunch in the cafeteria, we met Kohei Sensei, who introduced us to Kampo Pharmacy and actually brought traditional medicines to our class! He taught us about kakkon-to, which is a very common recipe used in kampo pharmacy and actually let us make it in class. Kakkon-to consists of seven different medicinal herbs that contribute to a concoction that is most commonly used in eastern medicine.

 Example of some traditional eastern herbal medicines

After Kohei Sensei shared the science and knowledge behind the uses of kampo pharmacy, he actually took us on a fieldtrip to a Kampo Pharmacy in Kobe. 

The lovely pharmacists that showed us their Kampo Pharmacy in Kobe, Japan

 This pharmacy was very quaint but had many herbal medicines lined along the walls. They also had some cool machines like the one on the bottom left below that mixes the herbs and compresses them into a sealed tea bag.

Machine that seals herbal medicine

View inside the Kampo Pharmacy

The staff then gave us some ointments that they compounded to try, such as one used for itching, one used for mosquito bites, and one for scars. They then gave us these cubes to eat that were created and coated with herbal medicines. To be honest, most of us did not like the taste of either of the cubes, but I still ate both of them anyways. The first one had more of a cinnamon base and was spicy - this one was usually given to elderly patients for their health. The second one we tried looked like chocolate and powdered sugar but tasted nothing like that - it was bitter but is used to relieve stress. 

Cinnamon based herbal cubes

Herbal cube that relieves stress

I am beyond thankful for this experience in Japan. The people here that have welcomed us students with open arms are truly the most amazing humans I have met in my life. They are so knowledgeable but so humble and selfless, and given us an experience of a lifetime. I have learned so much from each and every Sensei and I look forward to sharing the pharmacy knowledge I gained with my peers and mentors back in the US. 

Thanks for reading about my educational post! Now time for shopping and dinner :)