The Training Program for Pharmacists Working in Close Contact with Local Communities Necessary in an Ultra-Ageing Society, initiated by Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy, was chosen as part of the Contemporary Good Practice project conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in 2006. As one aspect of this program, pharmacy students are conducting volunteer activities in a nearby health care facility for the elderly. These activities are expected to help student improve their communication skills through interactions with elderly residents. Interactions with elderly persons on chronic medication are also expected to be beneficial from the viewpoint of pharmaceutical education. In this study, we made the assessment sheet about communication skills and evaluated how communication skills are acquired by students based on the sheet and records on students’ activities.
 Through continuous participation in facility activities, students have become able to spontaneously communicate with a large number of elderly residents. Through activities and the sheet, they have become able also to actively interact with staff members and their communication
skills with physical contacts have shown a particularly great improvement. The utility of the assessment sheet was suggested. These volunteer activities are considered to be very effective in improving students’ communication skills.

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