Japan Allows Over-the-counter 'morning After' Pill

Japan has approved over-the-counter income of an emergency contraceptive pill, its shaper says, allowing women successful nan state to return specified medicine without medicine for nan first time.

ASKA Pharmaceutical said wider entree to nan pill would "empower Japanese women successful nan area of reproductive health". A day for it to spell connected waste has yet to beryllium announced.

The pill will beryllium labelled arsenic "medicine requiring guidance", meaning women must return it successful nan beingness of a pharmacist.

The "morning-after" pill is already disposable without medicine successful much than 90 countries. Japan's blimpish views connected abortion are rooted successful patriarchy and profoundly accepted views connected nan domiciled of women.

In a connection connected Monday, ASKA Pharmaceutical said it "has obtained nan trading authorisation arsenic a move to OTC [over-the-counter] usage of nan emergency contraceptive pill commercialised nether nan trademark Norlevo".

There will beryllium no property restrictions connected buyers and nary request for parental consent, nan Mainichi Shimbun regular reported.

The institution said it had revenge for regulatory support successful 2024, pursuing prescription-free proceedings income of nan pill nan twelvemonth before.

During nan trial, Norlevo was made disposable astatine 145 pharmacies successful Japan. Until past nan pill had only been supplied astatine clinics aliases pharmacies pinch a doctor's introspection and prescription.

At nan time, authorities groups criticised nan trial, saying it was excessively small, and called for restrictions to beryllium lifted. Campaigners person agelong based on that requiring a medicine deterred younger women and rape victims from accessing emergency contraception.

Selling nan supplier without medicine was first discussed by a wellness ministry sheet successful 2017 - nan nationalist consultation recovered overwhelming support crossed nan country.

But officials stopped short of giving it nan greenish ray then, saying that making it much easy disposable would promote irresponsible usage of nan "morning-after" pill.

Norlevo - and nan generic type levonorgestrel - useful champion wrong 72 hours aft unprotected activity and has an efficacy complaint of 80%.