We started out as a single pharmacy based on the founding philosophy of “realizing true separation of prescribing and dispensing” and, in order to fulfill our mission of “To give people the closest possible support,” we have grown into a healthcare group that leads the industry by anticipating the future and responding to various medical needs.
1980 Starting separation of drug prescribing and dispensing services from the ground up
We carved out our own market by encouraging the still nearly un-practiced separation of drug prescribing and dispensing services among clinics in Sapporo, and opening “one-on-one pharmacies” near the clinics.
The year after our founding, we opened unique medical center-type pharmacies to offer patients greater convenience, and went on to expand into the separation of drug prescribing and dispensing services for large hospitals as well, growing in business scale while further helping spread the separation of these services.
2000 Launch of pharmacist staffing business
With the aim of addressing the issue of healthcare personnel shortages and avoiding poor fits, we established Pharma Staff (now Medical Resources) and launched Japan’s first pharmacist staffing business.
Drawing on the pool of educational expertise of Nihon Chouzai’s pharmacist business, we are contributing to the creation of a sustainable healthcare framework.
2004 Listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
We were listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) in 2004 and, in 2006, relisted on the First Section.
Having our shares listed as one of Japan’s leading pharmacy companies not only gave us greater credibility but also helped raise the overall status of pharmacies and pharmacists.
2005 Entering the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Sales Business
Capitalizing on a revision to Japan’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Act, we established Nihon Generic to enter into the business of manufacturing and selling generic drugs, a key element in the separation of drug prescribing and dispensing services.
We later acquired Choseido Pharmaceutical, further expanding the range of our businesses.
2009 Taking on the challenge of entering the neighborhood pharmacy market
To embody the true separation of drug prescribing and dispensing services, we are building a network of neighborhood pharmacies, which do not depend only on specific healthcare institutions but fill prescriptions from multiple institutions and serve as community healthcare hubs.
We defined locations that offered the greatest convenience to customers and expanded our pharmacy network, drawing on Nihon Chouzai’s distinctive marketing methods and other expertise. We went on to develop hybrid pharmacies.
2012 Establishing Japan Medical Research Institute
Capitalizing on the vast pool of prescription data held by Nihon Chouzai, we launched a business to create value that will tie into the robust development of the healthcare industry and better lives for people in Japan, including through the analysis of drug data, the provision of information, and consulting services for pharmaceutical companies and other organizations. We established Japan Medical Research Institute in 2012 to take over this initiative, and continue to expand the scope of the business.
2014 In-house development of an electronic medication notebook
Our experience of the Great East Japan Earthquake made us keenly aware of the importance of patients being able to access their own medication information, even in times of disaster. Against this background, we began work to develop an electronic medication notebook service that would be easy for patients to use, one that retains the functions of a printed medication notebook while also incorporating the latest ICT-based features. We launched operation of our proprietary electronic medication notebook, Okusuri Techo Plus, in 2014.
