The Japanese Society of Geriatric Pharmacy was established in 2016 (founding representative director: Professor Masahiro Akishita, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo), and it has since been dedicated to improving the quality of pharmacotherapy for elderly patients, while contributing to the advancement of medical care.

Since its establishment, the society has focused on enhancing pharmacists’ expertise through academic conferences and training sessions, broadly supporting practicing pharmacists via certification programs and other initiatives.

Japan has experienced rapid population aging in recent years. According to statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, while Japan’s total population continues to decline, the proportion of individuals aged 65 and over has already exceeded one-quarter of the total population. Future population projections indicate that Japan is entering an unprecedented super-aged society, making it clear that academic challenges related to elderly healthcare will increasingly accumulate.

To date, geriatric medicine has established concepts and evidence distinct from those pertaining to younger populations, encompassing fundamental theories, disease diagnosis and treatment, and functional assessment. The Japanese Society of Geriatric Pharmacy aims to establish evidence addressing the following key challenges in order to build a comprehensive academic framework for geriatric pharmacy:

1. Management of multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy
2. Systematization of pharmacology and pharmacokinetics aimed at individualized optimization
3. Development of drug therapy management methods specific to elderly patients
4. Implementation of healthcare delivery tailored to functions such as hospital and home care
5. Relationship between oral health, swallowing function, and pathological conditions

In 2023, the Japanese Society of Geriatric Pharmacy also became a member of The Japan Federation of Gerontological Societies. The field of geriatric pharmacy lacks dedicated international societies; therefore, by strengthening collaboration with related academic societies domestically and abroad, we aim to develop further as a leading global academic organization in geriatric pharmacy.

July 2025
Kazuya Ooi