TOKYO: Japan has granted regulatory approval for its first over-the-counter morning-after pill, manufacturer ASKA Pharmaceutical announced on Monday.
The company stated it had “obtained manufacturing and marketing approval” for its emergency contraceptive, Norlevo.
This marks a significant shift in the socially conservative nation where such medication previously required a doctor’s prescription.
Rights groups have long criticised Japan’s prescription-only policy, arguing it deterred many women including rape victims and teenage girls.
The Mainichi Shimbun daily reported there will be no age restrictions on buyers and no requirement for parental consent.
However, the pill will be classified as “medicine requiring guidance”, meaning women must take it in the presence of a pharmacist.
Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy within 72 hours of sexual intercourse but becomes less effective over time.
Discussions about making it available without prescription began at a health ministry panel in 2017.
The approval follows a small-scale pilot project launched two years ago at just 145 pharmacies nationwide, representing less than 0.2% of Japan’s total.
During the 2023 trial, the price was set between 7,000 and 9,000 yen (USD 47-60).
Morning-after pills are already available without prescription in more than 90 other countries.
The World Health Organization states emergency contraception “should be routinely included within all national family planning programmes”. – AFP
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