- Can you tell us about yourself and what you do?
My name is Chizuko Nakayama. I was born and raised in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, a city home to a beautiful castle that is a World Heritage Site. I currently live in Okayama. I am a mother of two children.
I am a pharmacist and PharmD in Pharmacy. I currently run a pharmacy and a company that sells traditional Japanese herbs. I also work as a part-time university lecturer.
While I was a graduate student, I inherited my family’s dispensing pharmacy. A dispensing pharmacy is different from a drugstore in that it prepares and dispenses medicine based on prescriptions brought in by patients.
Japan has a universal health insurance system, allowing patients to receive medical treatment and medication at low cost.
However, while working at the pharmacy, I felt that this universal health insurance system, for better or worse, was causing Japanese patients to become over-medicated and damaging their health. This led me to search for a way to help patients become healthier without medication. That’s how I discovered Japanese herbs. Now I sell Japanese herbs and promote their benefits so that patients can make informed choices about both medicine and herbs.
- How did you decide to study pharmacy?
Because I’m interested in how the body works, and my dream was to become a researcher. My parents also encouraged me to get a pharmacist’s license.
- What made you want to become both a researcher and later a business leader?
I felt that research was necessary to solve social problems, and that the future I envisioned required me to start my own business and make an impact on society.
- When you were a student, what skills helped you the most?
The ability to interpret academic papers and give presentations.
- If you could go back to your student days, what new skills would you want to learn?
I guess it would be the ability to quickly create protocols that take budgets and efficiency into consideration
- Why do you think university students should focus on skill development besides studying for exams?
I would like to have communication skills and be able to express my opinions while taking others’ feelings into consideration.
- What is the most important lesson you learned while working as a pharmacist?
Rather than forcing correct medical treatment on others, I would like to consider the patient’s lifestyle and background and work with them to find the best answer within that context.
- How is being a CEO different from being a researcher or lecturer?
CEOs are responsible for management and take responsibility, while researchers are responsible for considering what is right for society and which path to take.
- What skills do you use every day in your work as a leader?
I have made it a habit to consider the backgrounds of all the people I come into contact with.
- What advice would you give to students who are unsure about their future careers?
Think first about what you want to do, take responsibility for it, and move forward.
- How can students start improving their communication and teamwork skills?
90% of success is listening. You don’t necessarily have to take on leadership roles.
- What one habit do you think every student should develop to succeed in life?
Harmony with others. Even if you win alone, loneliness will remain.
