Over-the-counter drugs to be made available at convenience stores
Parliament on Wednesday enacted a bill that will allow people to pick up over-the-counter drugs from convenience stores and other outlets without pharmacists.
The bill to revise the pharmaceuticals and medical devices law was approved at a plenary meeting of the House of Councilors following its passage through the House of Representatives last month.
The revised law will require consumers to listen to explanations from pharmacists online before purchases. It will take effect by around spring 2027. The government expects the new system to be used also in areas with few pharmacies, such as remote islands and mountainous areas.
The current law does not allow stores without pharmacists to sell OTC drugs. As of February 2023, the proportion of convenience stores that can sell such drugs stood at only 0.7% of some 57,000 convenience stores across the country, according to an industry group.
Under the revised law, people will be able to listen to explanations on cautionary notes about drugs from pharmacists online and receive a certificate via email. They will then be able to get OTC drugs by showing such a certificate at convenience stores. There are also plans for making possible the picking up of the drugs from vending machines.
The revised law will also include a regulation on purchases of cold medicines for younger generations, setting a limit of one small package per person to avoid abuse. The regulation will take effect within a year after its promulgation.
The revised law will also require pharmacies to confirm the age of consumers and purchase histories in other stores. Target ages for the rule will be decided later by the health ministry.
The requirement will not be applied to older purchasers, but sellers will be mandated to ask reasons for purchases. Warnings on abuse will be necessary on packages.
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