There's no denying that, as you grow older, you are likely to visit doctors more often and have more medicine prescribed. According to 2014 data from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, the amount of prescription drugs patients are given goes up as they age, especially after they turn 60.
As they get older, many people develop chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis, for which they can be on medication for years.
In fact, it's not uncommon for seniors to make rounds of two or three doctors regularly, causing a situation where local clinics turn into chanomi saron (tea salons), a venue for social gatherings rather than a provider of health care.