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Pharumo's Presentation at the Patient-Centric Care Seminar

On July 8, 2026, Pharumo Inc., headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo, participated in a significant seminar titled "Consideration for 'Patient-Centric' Care" organized by Welby. The event featured a special lecture by Akira Kitaba, the Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO) and Head of Strategic Partnerships at Pharumo. The focus of his talk revolved around the communication strategies necessary for pharmacists to realize patient-centered healthcare.

Seminar Background

This seminar was initiated primarily to celebrate Welby’s launch of their new patient information platforms, WPCP and kotokoto. Yet, it aimed far beyond simply announcing a new service. It served as a discussion platform for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries to explore how to engage effectively with patients moving forward. Alongside notable companies like Chugai Pharmaceutical, Welby, Medpass, and MBK Wellness, Pharumo highlighted their commitment to fostering physician-patient communication through their electronic medication notebook since their inception.

Welby's Opening Remarks

The seminar featured opening remarks from Takeki Hiraki, the CEO of Welby, who shared insights from his extensive 15 years of experience in the Personal Health Record (PHR) field. He emphasized the need for a societal shift where patients take an active role in managing their health data and sharing it with healthcare providers. With rising social security costs and ongoing medical digital transformation (DX), he articulated the urgency of developing robust structures that support these changes. Hiraki unveiled plans for a new digital education platform targeted at patients and acknowledged the crucial role played by diverse stakeholders like medical institutions, electronic medical record vendors, and telecom companies in realizing this vision for the future of healthcare.

Pharumo’s Contribution: Enhancing Communications in Patient-Centric Care

Akira Kitaba took to the stage to present key insights derived from his 15 years of experience at Pfizer while addressing fundamental communication obstacles linked to pharmacists. In light of the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare's push for a shift from pharmacist-centric operations to those focusing on interpersonal engagement, Kitaba discussed the vital role pharmacists play in ensuring patient-centered care, reflecting on what Pharumo has learned through the development and operation of their electronic medication notebooks.

During his presentation, Kitaba revealed findings from a survey conducted among 86 pharmacists regarding medication guidance challenges across four specific domains: rare disease drugs, psychiatric medications, oral chemotherapy agents, and obesity treatments. This comprehensive survey sought to pinpoint issues faced by pharmacists in the field and highlighted the support roles expected of various stakeholders involved. Results indicated that as medical therapies and technologies evolve, pharmacists must continuously follow up with patients after medication, emphasizing the need for improved bidirectional communication channels. There remains ample room for enhancing how pharmaceutical companies deliver product information and support resources to pharmacists and incorporate feedback from pharmacists to refine their services.

In the latter half of his presentation, Kitaba incorporated discussions on the evolution of prescription reimbursement and the vital need for ongoing pharmacist engagement in empowering patients in managing their treatment as well as understanding their medications. He eloquently articulated the multifaceted value pharmacists contribute towards adherence and disease management acquisition.

Conclusively, Kitaba stressed the fact that achieving genuine patient-centered healthcare necessitates collaborative creation involving feedback from the frontline and medical practitioners. He implored all stakeholders, especially healthcare institutions and pharmaceutical enterprises, to collaborate closely with pharmacists to ensure knowledge from practice is consistently integrated into patient guidance protocols and Patient Support Programs (PSPs). This would facilitate more effective use of pharmacists' insights in patient education and medication adherence follow-ups.

Pharumo is dedicated to valuing pharmacist expertise and listening to the concerns of both pharmacists and patients, forging collaborative efforts with various stakeholders to enhance the development of a truly patient-centered healthcare framework.

Event Details

• - Seminar Name: Consideration for 'Patient-Centric' Care
• - Date: July 8, 2026 (Wednesday)
• - Time: 15:00 - 17:30
• - Location: Nihonbashi Hall (9F, Nihonbashi Takashimaya Mitsui Building, 2-5-1 Nihonbashi)
• - Organizer: Welby
• - Audience: Pharmaceutical companies, healthcare professionals, healthcare-related enterprises
• - Pharumo Speaker: Akira Kitaba (CDIO/Head of Strategic Partnerships)

About Pharumo

Pharumo Inc. is dedicated to connecting pharmacies, communities, and future healthcare systems with the mission to create happy and sustainable medical frameworks for all parties involved.

Company Overview

• - Company Name: Pharumo, Inc.
• - CEO: Yoshihiro Hiroi
• - Location: Tokyo Opera City Tower 52F, Nishi-Shinjuku 3-20-2, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-1452
• - Website: https://pharumo.jp/