CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Integrating IoT and imaging technologies
for simplified pharmaceutical distribution

TAKAZONO seeks to reduce the risk of human error and the burden on pharmacists while drastically increasing thesafety of the patients through their medicine audit support system and packaging machines.
TAKAZONO’s philosophy is
to always exert best efforts
to create products that meetthe needs of the times and to“We would like tofind new business
opportunities so that
we can be present
in this new evolving
pharmaceutical world.”
Tsutomu Kitaguchi,
President,
TAKAZONO Corporation

Over the half century since
TAKAZONO was established in
1963, the company has strived
to manufacture products that
support patients and healthcare service providers alike.
“We have worked hard to develop technology, manufactureand sell products, and provide
related services, going to great
lengths to incorporate feedback from patients and pharmacists in order to develop accurate and efficient products,”
Mr.Kitaguchi says.
“Our next goal is to provide
products which satisfy patients and healthcare service
providers around the world.

respond flexibly as the worldchanges. We do so in order tocontinue to contribute to society even as we win recognition
for our efforts.”
In recent times, the company has been advancing its
imaging and image processing
technology in order to improvemonitoring and identification of
medicines, thus reducing thehuman error that may happen
when processed manually. In
2023, electronic prescriptions
will be introduced, which will
mean that the patients will nothave to wait in the pharmacies
to receive their medicine.
“There will also be traceability
embedded with this new system,
which will allow you to follow
a person’s medicine intake andmonitor how the person’s bodyis reacting to their medicine,”
Mr. Kitaguchi explains.
Packaging machines
In a recent survey by the PR
Times conducted with pharmacists in Japan, their biggest
complaint with their packaging
machines came down to thecleaning process and the lackof automatic cleaning functions
available. TAKAZONO however
has packaging machines in its

portfolio of products
to address the issue,
Mr.Kitaguchi says.
“Japanese pharmacies have verysmall and limited
space. The uniqueness of our tablet
and powder packaging machine isthat it is small insize and very compact. It also hashigh functionality
and is very precise
and accurate whenit comes to medicine
dispensing as wellas packaging. Since
we are earnestlyd e d i c a te d i n o u r
approach to monozukuri , the lifespanof our product is very
long. We thus have thedilemma of not being able toresell our products to repeat
clients, because our products
are so durable!”
Going forward, the company
is looking to increase its investment in digital transformationof the pharmaceutical sector,
as well as providing practicalsolutions such as its packagingmachines.

“Currently, patients receive
paper prescriptions, and then
go to the pharmacy to receive
the medicines. However, withthe advancement of IoT, things
are becoming more automated,”says Mr. Kitaguchi.
“This is also froma logistics point ofview too. When you
go to the doctors,
you are prescribed
medicine, and by thetime you get home,the medicine may
be delivered to yourhome, or you canwait at your home toreceive the medicine.
The world is changing, and TAKAZONO
would like to findnew business opportunities. We will continue to provide newproducts, so that wecan exist in this new
evolving pharmaceutical world.”
Having taken overas president of TAKAZONO last year, Mr. Kitaguchi
is optimistic about the future,prioritizing the company’s core
manufacturing philosophy andcommitment to quality and theconstant improvement in addressing new challenges.
“Every three years, as a company, we make a management
plan. My role as the president
is to accomplish the three-yearplan steadily and surely,” hesays. “By doing so, I want toensure that the company has
a solid structure that can behanded down to the next generation. In Japan there is a saying,
sanpo-yoshi, which means there
are benefits for the seller andthe buyer, as well as the society.
It is not just our company thatshould be making the profit.
There should be profit for thecustomers, too. We also want
to bring goodness and benefits
to society. TAKAZONO would
like to keep this philosophy of
being a company that provides
sanpo-yoshi .”www.takazono.co.jp