Pediatrician Jiro Tsukada says that being stingy has become part of his job.
Every day, Tsukada, who runs a clinic in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, carefully monitors the inventory of one particular drug in his pharmacy, counting the number of capsules he receives from wholesalers and the number he prescribes to patients.
The reason? Since a strong type-A Hong Kong influenza virus started spreading rapidly in Japan's snowiest regions in mid-December, the drug oseltamivir -- known to significantly relieve flu symptoms -- has been in short supply.