Over-the-counter drugs to be available at convenience stores in Japan

Make Aspirin legal in Japan,.

Fantastic news! Because what we really need in Japan was even easier access to overpriced pills that don’t cure anything, just politely tell your symptoms to “pipe down” while your body quietly gets worse. And how good is popping a quick fix from the same place you buy instant ramen and magazine smut?! Why actually address diet, sleep, stress, or underlying health issues when you can just grab a colorful box of liver-battering magic from the local MiniStop? Cheers to treating the smoke while ignoring the fire.

Fantastic news! Because what we really need in Japan was even easier access to overpriced pills that don’t cure anything

For many conditions and health problems a temporary relief of symptoms is all that is required. People can find this relief well worth the money. No "body is getting worse" for treatments against a simple cold, pain and inflammation after unusual excercise, allergies, etc. etc. No underlying health issues, no diet to or lack of sleep to blame. If anything the line up is precisely the safest, least likely to be used incorrectly kind of drugs.

Just cure the symptoms,not the cause.

When the symptoms are the only problems that is enough, did you think the drugs that will be now available were going to be against diabetes, hypertension, antibiotics? I mean even cold medicines will be restricted.

For many conditions and health problems a temporary relief of symptoms is all that is required.

Oh! Well, if that’s the case, then people are FAR better off with natural, holistic treatments that actually work - with fewer side effects, better long-term outcomes, and, most importantly, no pharmaceutical sleight-of-hand that just shoves symptoms under the rug. Anyone who’s tried both knows the difference: popping pills for temporary relief is like taping over your car’s 'check engine' light - convenient, but ultimately pointless if you care about the real problem. Even for colds, soreness, or allergies, nature provides safer, smarter answers - without needing a warning label three paragraphs long.

Oh and, haha, no... these drugs are not “too safe to misuse” just because they’re sold next to canned coffee. That’s marketing, not medicine.

Hey Jay...give us some examples of "holistic medicines " that treat heart disease.

Whats the one were you take an infinitely diluted extract of a flower or herb ?

Homeopathy ...thats it ! Developed in the 17th Century and still sucking people in today !

The are many good traditional Chinese remedies at the drug store that work. Various Japanese skin creams are good, which we have used for decades, like

https://www.otsuka.co.jp/ohn/lang_en/

I stopped buying at drug stores due to the inquisition, interrogation of who, what, where, when every freaking time I need to buy regular ordinary allergy or cold medicine. I've been using an online retailer named after a large south American river and it saves so much needless hassle and bother.

Hey Jay...give us some examples of "holistic medicines " that treat heart disease.

Hey Mick... do you honestly think they’re stocking beta-blockers and statins next to the instant yakisoba at your local FamilyMart? Because if you’re going to scoff at holistic approaches, at least be consistent and admit that actual heart disease medication sure as hell isn’t something you’re picking up with your kombini onigiri either.

Now, if you’re ready to talk about evidence-backed holistic practices like CoQ10, magnesium, omega-3s, diet, exercise, stress reduction, and actual lifestyle change - all of which have been shown to strongly support cardiovascular health - then we can have a real conversation. Or would you rather trust your arteries to aisle three and a cashier who also sells anime socks?

I sometimes buy ethanol for home disinfection and I often am told that it’s not for drinking lol!

Over-the-counter medicines are not replacements for prescribed drugs for more serious conditions. Sometimes they are not cheap and don't always fix the problem. It can be cheaper to go and see a doctor at a hospital or clinic.

Sign of troubled times for convenience stores. It's obvious their popularity peaked and its only tourists keeping them afloat. In non-tourist areas of Tokyo, 'net' store closures the norm, much worse across Japan.

Aging shrinking populations when they need convenience, use home delivery, Amazon etc.

HopeSpringsEternal

Sign of troubled times for convenience stores. It's obvious their popularity peaked and its only tourists keeping them afloat. In non-tourist areas of Tokyo, 'net' store closures the norm, much worse across Japan.

> Aging shrinking populations when they need convenience, use home delivery, Amazon etc.

Tens of millions of Japanese people use convenience stores every single day, even in locations that have few tourists. You should get out of Tokyo more.

Convenience stores have limited shelf space.

Oh! Well, if that’s the case, then people are FAR better off with natural, holistic treatments that actually work

When something works it is included in the medical recommendations, people use pharmacological help when those treatments are simply not enough, which is extremely frequent. For example there is no "natural, holistic" treatment that can replace the relief of allergy medication.

with fewer side effects, better long-term outcomes, and, most importantly, no pharmaceutical sleight-of-hand that just shoves symptoms under the rug. 

This is called the "natural fallacy" where something is baselessly called better, safer or more effective just because it is natural, the opposite is frequently the case. And for symptomatic medication there is no sleight of hand, that is the whole point of the treatment, "natural" painkillers use the same "slegith-of-hand" to shove pain away, just less effectively and safely than over the counter pain medication. Again, there is no "real problem" beyond the symptoms, that is the problem to be solved. And no, natural can be also dangerous and even lethal, just because you don't get warnings that does not mean there are no risk, ignoring something do not make it disappear

Oh and, haha, no... these drugs are not “too safe to misuse” just because they’re sold next to canned coffee. That’s marketing, not medicine.

When the whole point is that only the safest drugs are allowed to be sold in these stores that means your criticism is completely false.

Sign of troubled times for convenience stores. It's obvious their popularity peaked and its only tourists keeping them afloat.

Nonsense, most of the convenience stores are outside of places that receive lots of tourists, the problem here is thinking the places you visit are those that represent the whole of Japan.

HopeSpringsEternal Today 07:24 pm JST

Sign of troubled times for convenience stores. It's obvious their popularity peaked and its only tourists keeping them afloat.

Maybe that's the plan. "Tourists", especially from china, will buy up the medical stocks at these combinis and discreetly send/sell them back to their own country. More business for Big Pharma.

They've been doing it in other countries....especially baby formula, medicine, etc. Many Hong Kong mothers were outraged when mainlanders bought up all the baby formula, diapers and medicine...leaving very little for the Hongkongers.

Delivery business is BOOMING, non-stop, as the busy and elderly have less and less time or need to waste time and money in an over-priced convenience store.

Convenience Store 'net' closures in non-tourist areas the norm for years now and it's accelerating across Japan, except in tourist areas where the demand is excellent.

There are 60,000 convenience stores.

"Tourists", especially from china, will buy up the medical stocks at these combinis and discreetly send/sell them back to their own country.

Seeing how even common drugs for the cold are going to be restricted there would be no point on doing this, which country do you think don't have antihistaminic, acetaminophen, etc?

This specially applies since the most effective drugs (and with higher doses) are not sold over the counter.

Convenience Store 'net' closures in non-tourist areas the norm for years now and it's accelerating across Japan, except in tourist areas where the demand is excellent.

Any source for this? because the numbers do not support that claim, are you making things up?

https://www.nipponsoft.co.jp/blog/analysis/chain-conveniencestore2025/

Under the revised legislation, they will be offered at designated convenience stores, provided buyers receive online usage guidance from pharmacists.

Lol

Young people can't buy alcohol and tobacco but at least now theyll have access to drugs

It seems obvious that a few posters on this site have never had a sudden toothache in the middle of the night.

Convenience stores have limited shelf space.

Yeah because of the store layout. Been to Donkey lately? Always room for more.

Nearly all other countries around the world this is a totally normal thing. Why is it such a big deal here? How can it in any way, shape or form be a bad thing? Some people just love to complain about things on these comment sections.

Eugene

It seems obvious that a few posters on this site have never had a sudden toothache in the middle of the night

Keep a bottle of glove oil for dental emergencies.

Can we have them at dosages greater than for a three year old?

ianToday  07:53 pm JST

Under the revised legislation, they will be offered at designated convenience stores, provided buyers receive online usage guidance from pharmacists.

Lol

In Japan the sale of a Class-1 OTC drug legally requires this guidance.

By law, a pharmacist must provide mandatory explanations and confirm understanding before the sale can proceed.

These cannot be sold by ordinary store staff; only a licensed pharmacist (薬剤師).

OssanAmerica

Today 10:17 pm JST

ianToday 07:53 pm JST

> Under the revised legislation, they will be offered at designated convenience stores, provided buyers receive online usage guidance from pharmacists.

> Lol

> In Japan the sale of a Class-1 OTC drug legally requires this guidance.

> By law, a pharmacist must provide mandatory explanations and confirm understanding before the sale can proceed.

> These cannot be sold by ordinary store staff; only a licensed pharmacist (薬剤師).

Hahaha yup if that will really be implemented then it will be more trouble to buy from the kombini

Over-the-counter drugs are currently restricted to sales by pharmacists or registered sellers. Under the revised legislation, they will be offered at designated convenience stores, provided buyers receive online usage guidance from pharmacists.

I should not have omitted the first line so you wouldn't have felt the need to research about it

Laguna

Make Aspirin legal in Japan,.

Do you mean make it even more legal than it is already? (It's already legal in Japan, and available OTC, fyi.)

Plus, there's ibuprofen, loxoprofen, and acetaminophen (paracetamol) available OTC, as well.

Of course, the dosages are quite low here, so one usually needs to double whatever it says on the box.

I solve that dilemma by ordering bigass bottles of Tylenol and Advil from the US.

Make Aspirin legal in Japan,.

Can't recall where, but remember reading that aspirin wouldn't be approved for use anywhere for OTC sales with drug trials because it has so many interactions and is known to cause bleeding when used too much/long. https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/would-aspirin-be-approved-today

Using low-dose aspirin for people with the potential for heart attacks and strokes has changed. Doctors want more definitive symptoms before prescribing aspirin because it has a number of negative interactions.

Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Motrin (ibuprofen) are much preferred by medical professionals for pain and inflammation relief because they have limited side-effects.

Of course, all pain medicines shouldn't be used continuously. Isn't there a 4 day limit before the advice to seek out medical help is recommended?

Most OTC pain medicines go bad before I've used even half the bottle. But they are so cheap, that I don't really worry.

Let me know when Sudafed (Pseudoephedrine) is legal in Japan. That's about the only OTC pills I bring with me for travel - just to avoid they normal sniffles I always get on airplanes and in new climates. Back in the US, they've moved them to behind the counter, but no prescription is required. Seems meth cookers were buying huge amounts of Sudafed to cook. While it is a hassle and my ID data is recorded every time I buy a box of 12-24 pills (about once every other year), if that extra hassle makes it just a little harder for meth cookers, fine.

Post surgery in December, doctors told me to use OTC acetaminophen to manage any pain and swelling. Think I took 2 pills 3x daily for about 4 days, but only when I felt pain. I was bruised where they did the surgery for about 2 weeks. Just kept it covered when going out.

Most over the counter drugs and heck even prescription ones are so weak. And most over the counter are worthless. My diabetic medicine with insurance is the same price as Indonesia without insurance. That’s prescription. And the allowed amount is significantly lower here. For example ozempix they only want to give you 1mg a week where the recommended dose is 2mg. It’s that way for everything. Allowing junk semi-drugs in the store is worthless. Pay even more now for them.

and first comment make aspirin legal. It is. Just ridiculously expensive.

I like visiting a pharmacy in any case, and I stockup on pain killers and cold and flu, and well, hay fever is top notch in Japanese pharmacies, so much choices. Just love the advice of Japanese pharmacists. But I think availability in kombinis is not a bad thing if labelling is adequate.

OTC meds in Japan are nothing more than overpriced bitter tasting sweets. They're useless in helping alleviate any sort of illness, pain, or ache you have.

I hate drug stores in Japan! Nothing but a pain in the azzz...! Stop talking to me, stop trying to advise me, stop trying to dictate what I should or should not buy. Pharmacists are not qualified as DOCTORS!!

Buy online (Amazon) and save yourself a ton of bother and hassle.. even if it is a bit more expensive.

It makes no sense a toothless disheveled and homeless looking old man/woman can buy liters and liters of shochu or a carton(s) of cigarettes/vape and nobody says, advises a word or questions them.

Yet, ordinary people try to buy allergy or cold medicine get interrogated and almost treated as suspected criminals.

It makes absolutely no sense at all!!

Getting 'medical advice' from a pharmacist is like getting dental advice from a proctologist.

ABSOLUETLY FREAKING USELESS.

Getting 'medical advice' from a pharmacist is like getting dental advice from a proctologist.

ABSOLUETLY FREAKING USELESS.

Not useless at all, when the patient is looking for symptomatic relief a pharmacist can give perfectly useful advice based on science, from which medication is more likely to have the desired effect to recommend for the patient to see a doctor for symptoms that could indicate a serious disease.

Jay, none of the things you reference are "holistic "

I would surmise the "Magnesium " importance was discovered through science and understanding of how minerals and such are crucial in the electrical aspects of heart beats.

Healthy lifestyle recommendations are not "holistic " either.

Science eventually debunked the smoking is harmless idea.

It will be science that comes up with the next treatment for heart disease also.