The Future of Healthcare Created with Asia: Japan's Contribution in Collaboration with Bac Mai Hospital
Why JPMA is tackling access issues in Vietnam
JPMA is working to solve Access issues in Japan and around the world under its vision of "Drug Discovery Innovation Delivered to Japan and the World.
In many Asian countries, even when new drugs are approved, access to patients is not realized because of insufficient coordination and administration of safe drugs, collection and sharing of safety information, and proper use by patients.
JPMA hopes to contribute to the extension of healthy life expectancy in the Asian region by not only delivering medicines, but also supporting the construction of a "healthcare ecosystem" to ensure that these medicines are used safely and effectively.
Based on this idea, we are working with the National Center for Global Medical Research (NCGM) and the National Cancer Center Hospital (NCCH) on capacity building in Vietnam.
Launching a Model Project in Vietnam
We first launched our project around 2018. Since Vietnam has been collaborating with Japan in the field of healthcare, we decided to work with Bac Mai Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the country, located in the capital city of Hanoi.
During the first phase (FY 2019-21), we focused on medication guidance for patients with diabetes, which had been an issue in the country.
In the second period (FY2024-FY2025), we focused on the oncology area and worked to build capacity in anticancer drug formulation operations.
| FY 2017-18 | Phase 1 Planning and Coordination |
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| FY 2019-21 | Phase 1 PJ implementation | |
| FY2022-23 | 2nd phase planning and coordination |
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| FY2024-25 | Phase 2 PJ implementation |
Medical Capacity Building the Japanese Way
Through site visits and surveys in 2022-23, we confirmed that there are many needs in the oncology area for training in the promotion of proper use and pharmacist operations, and in 2024, we welcomed the National Cancer Center Hospital (NCCH) as a new partner and launched the second phase of the project
We have established an annual plan to conduct a training visit to Japan at NCCH and a training visit to Vietnam to implement the results of the training in pairs.
In FY2024, we invited two clinical pharmacists from Bac Mai Hospital and in FY2025, we invited two clinical pharmacists and one pharmacist in charge of formulation to visit Japan to observe NCCH practices, mock formulation, and learn Japanese-style team medicine and patient communication.
Learning through Practice - Acquiring Detailed Know-How in the Field
During a visit to NCCH in November 2025, participants learned about the hospital's anticancer drug formulation system through lectures and discussions, and received hands-on training in ensuring safety through a combination of practical skills training.
Acquisition of advanced know-how through classroom lectures
Aiming to create an acceptable system for advanced anticancer drug treatment, the participants learned about various regulations and improvement efforts, such as strict safety management, multidisciplinary cooperation within the hospital, and patient-centered guidance and pamphlet preparation.
Practical training to ensure safety through skills training
From the perspective of safety, which is an important aspect in the handling of anticancer drugs, the participants learned about points to keep in mind during actual procedures. They confirmed how to use fluorescent agents to check for adhesion to the outside of the container, among other things.
Transformation in one of the largest hospitals in Vietnam
Through these training activities, BacMai Hospital aims to make the following changes.
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Establishment of infrastructure for access to advanced medical care
Creating an environment where local healthcare professionals can safely handle advanced drugs by incorporating strict standards for protective clothing donning/removal procedures, disposal management, etc. as a mechanism.
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Exporting patient-centered medicine
Introduction of Japan's unique team medicine and the concept of patient guidance by pharmacists and pamphlets for medication guidance that are easy for patients to understand to the medical field in Vietnam, which is strongly physician-led.
- Creation and operation of manuals for safe and proper adjustment of anticancer drugs.
- Development of a centralized preparation room
- Consideration of creating simple and sustainable patient guidance tools
Expansion throughout Vietnam and into the rest of Asia
Eliminating the "access lag:
Through dialogue with the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, these on-site improvement activities will be linked to policy-level measures in collaboration with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, with the aim of raising the level of medical care in Vietnam as a whole.
It is hoped that by enabling local clinical pharmacists to handle advanced drugs, access to new drugs for patients will be shortened by even one day.
Promotion of dialogue with Asian regulatory authorities:
The Asian Subcommittee of the JPMA International Affairs Committee is promoting dialogue with Asian regulatory authorities. We hope that the training of human resources and preparation of materials in response to local needs will serve as a model case that can be used as a reference by ministries of health and regulatory authorities in other countries, and will be expanded to many other regions in Asia in the future.
(Jumi Maruyama, Asuka Hara, Chikusaki Okahara, Takashi Yamaguchi, Kunihiko Yukimatsu, and Shinichiro Awamura, Access Group, International Affairs Committee)