Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on higher education in Japan: Transition to online education and challenges in experiential pharmacy practice

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of human life, including pharmacy education worldwide. This article depicts how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted higher education in Japan with a focus on two topics: the transition to online education and the challenges faced in experiential pharmacy practice. In both topics, the sharing of information among educators and stakeholders, from students to governmental ministries, played vital roles in keeping the programme delivery as normal as possible during the pandemic. Insights gained from experience during the pandemic should offer a basis for the robust and versatile framework of tomorrow’s pharmacy education.