OTCs in Japan
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Over-the-counter drugs may be sold in Japan when pharmacists are not present in stores, provided that a staff member at the retail outlet consults with an on-call pharmacist through videophone, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour & Welfare decides in a Jan. 22 report. The "deregulation" will result in the late-night sale of OTCs from 10 pm to 6 am, when pharmacists are not on staff, according to a spokesperson from the Japanese Embassy. In a recent letter, CHPA urged the U.S. Trade Representative to consider distribution restrictions on nonprescription drugs in Japan as a trade barrier to entry for American firms (1"The Tan Sheet" Jan. 5, 2004, p. 10)...