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ISPOR Japan Chapter Opens Door to the Next Stage in Asia-Pacific
Isao Kamae MD, DrPH, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
ISPOR Japan Chapter (IJAC) was established and launched on
September 1, 2005, into a new era of history on
pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research in Japan, following up
ISPOR’s first Asia-Pacific Conference in Kobe, Japan, 2003.
Over 150 people gathered in the afternoon of the first day in
September at the Tokai University Club, Kasumigaseki-building
close to the main campus of Japanese government in Tokyo, Japan,
to attend an inaugural meeting and a memorial International
Symposium. The symposium was actively co-organized by Institute
for Health Economics and Policy, Tokyo, Japan.
ISPOR Japanese
Local Chapter Executive Meeting
Isao Kamae, MD, DrPH, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan and
2004-2006 ISPOR Board of Directors Member, was selected as the
first President of IJAC. Also Shunya Ikeda, MD, PhD, Keio
University, Tokyo, Japan and a member of the Executive Committee
of ISPOR Asia Consortium was as the Presidentelect of IJAC, and
Makoto Shiragami, PhD, Nihon University, Chiba, Japan as the
Treasurer of IJAC.
Peter Neumann, ScD, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston,
USA, and 2005-2006 ISPOR President, celebrating the
inauguration, stated that it is “a great success to the next
step, not only for Japan, but also for Asia-Pacific”.
The meeting began with the first Executive Committee meeting
at noon followed by the opening of the first general assembly
and a subsequent International Symposium for memorial. Isao
Kamae, President of IJAC, introduced a brief history to the
establishment of IJAC with welcome remarks. It was followed by a
congratulatory address of Kazushige Ichinohe, MD, PhD, Ministry
of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, who spoke about the
government policies on pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research,
particularly interested in potential use of economic data for
pricing or reimbursement of pharmaceutical products and medical
device in Japan. Randel Richner, BSN, MPH, Vice President,
Boston Scientific Corp, Natick, MA, USA, and 2003-2005 ISPOR
Board of Directors Member, gave us the second address of
congratulation that emphasized the interdisciplinary approach by
ISPOR for the key to success, quoting a Japanese word, “San-Kan-
Gaku”, which implies collaborations of three sectors: Industry,
Government and Academia. After the address, three distinguished
speakers, invited from abroad, presented keynote reviews on the
past, the present and the future of ISPOR in relation to the
Asia-Pacific issues. Peter Neumann, ScD, Harvard School of
Public Health, Boston, USA, and 2005- 2006 ISPOR President,
spoke about the mission and the achievements of ISPOR with the
title, “The Importance of Measuring the Value of Health Care
Services”, including the lessons learned in the US. It was an
excellent lecture for Japanese audience to understand what ISPOR
did, what ISPOR is and what ISPOR will be in the context of US
and European concerns. Gordon Liu, PhD, University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA, and Peking University, Beijing,
China, and Chair of ISPOR Asia Consortium, introduced core
activities of ISPOR in the Asia- Pacific region with the title,
“ISPOR Asia Consortium’s Perspective”, and emphasized that the
ISPOR Asia Consortium has been playing an important role for the
second ISPOR Asia-Pacific Conference, Shanghai, China, in March
2006. Tony, Yen-Huei Tarn, MS, PhD, President of Taiwan Society
for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (TaSPOR) and
President of ISPOR Taiwan Chapter, presented the Taiwan issue
including the pharmacoeconomic guidelines in the world with the
title, “Taiwan Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes
Research (TaSPOR) and International PE Guidelines”. He indicated
that there are many common problems to be solved in both
countries, Taiwan and Japan, despite the different healthcare
systems. Finally, as a Japanese speaker, Toshio Nagae, BPharm,
President, CMIC Marketing Promotion and Sales Support CO., Ltd.,
and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Adviser presented
a Japanese view with the title, “Japanese Health Care
Perspectives - Great Expectation of Pharmacoeconomics and
Outcome Research”. Illustrating with an example for a
traditional vehicle of wood how to turn with the lever in the
Gion Festival, Kyoto, Japan; the Japanese guest speaker
suggested that IJAC could be a lever with which Japan will
change the direction towards the next stage in the history.
Over 50 participants came up together to the room Asahi in
the same building, at the reception in the evening, to know each
other better, exchange ideas, and gather information on what
will happen on the next stage of pharmacoeconomics and outcomes
research in Japan. Great potentials of impact was projected to
both companies and academics in the reception room, because high
officials came to attend from Ministry of Health, Labor and
Welfare of Japan such as Kazuo Hutagawa, Director of Economic
Affairs Division, Soichiro Isobe, Deputy Director of Economic
Affairs Division (for Pharmaceuticall products), Kazushige
Ichinohe, Deputy Director of Economic Affairs Division (for
Medical Device), and Shunsuke Ono, Reviewer, Pharmaceuticals &
Medical Devices Agency. Also, it was honored to have Hatsuo
Aoki, President of JPMA (Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Association) attending the party and celebrating for the
inauguration. Such gathering of stakeholders at the level of
decision-makers in health policy and management in Japan made
the attendants certainly regard IJAC as a vehicle of
representative at the country level. It was really a big success
in Japanese community including three components of industry,
academics and government.
Also the establishment of IJAC will be a good input of
potential contribution for the second ISPOR Asia-Pacific
Conference, Shanghai, China, on 5-7 March, 2006, with the theme,
“Improving Evidence and Outcomes in Health Care Decision Making
in Asia Pacific: Challenge to a New Era”. The IJAC is expected
to continue to grow, discussing and developing a
pharmacoeconomics guideline in the near future to develop a new
policy of government in Japan. The leadership by ISPOR members
would be greatly appreciated for the challenge to the next stage
in the Asia-Pacific region |
