Explaining Japan’s OTC classes, Class-1 medicines, pharmacist confirmation, prescription inquiries and cross-border purchasing risks.
What PMDA recall information, Yellow Letters, Blue Letters and PMDA Medinavi each mean, plus a step-by-step checklist for what to do when a medicine you use is recalled or flagged.
A safety checklist drawn from published guidance by the FDA, NABP, TGA, EMA and GPhC: the prescription, licence, pharmacist and price signals worth checking before buying medicine online.
Drawing on MHLW and Tokyo Metropolitan Government guidance and live online-pharmacy flows: why Class-1 medicines cannot be ordered directly, and what a pharmacist confirmation is expected to ask before a purchase can proceed.
What changes in Japan’s medicine sales system from May 2026: online medication guidance for guidance-required medicines, specified guidance-required medicines, designated abuse-prevention medicines, and the implications for cross-border purchase pages.
How common OTC medicines in Japan are organised by symptom — colds, pain relief, rhinitis, gastrointestinal and eye care — with the risk classes, contraindicated groups and the points at which a pharmacist should be consulted.
Kampo is traditional Japanese herbal medicine and a regulated part of mainstream healthcare in Japan — 148 formulas are insurance-covered. Learn what it is, how it is standardized, and what institutional buyers should know.
How Japan regulates pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs and health products under the PMD Act, the roles of MHLW and PMDA, and what international institutional buyers should prepare before importing.
