The health and welfare ministry has plans to prohibit in principle mail-order and Internet sales of some drugs from June 1. Such sales reportedly totaled about ¥80 billion in 2007. It is true that using these methods to sell drugs can pose safety issues. On the other hand, some people benefit from mail-order and Internet availability of drugs, including those with mobility issues and people living in remote regions. The ministry and parties concerned need to engage in additional discussions to come up with ways of selling drugs that ensure safety and convenience.

Under the ministry plan, Internet and mail-order sales of category No. 1 and 2 nonprescription drugs under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law will be prohibited on the grounds that it could pose health risks. These two categories account for about 70 percent of nonprescription drugs. An ordinance of the ministry coupled with the law, which was revised in 2006, would be used to enforce the prohibition.

The category No. 1 includes some hair growth drugs and drugs for the digestive system, including H2 blockers. Category No. 2 includes cold pills, antipyretic-analgesics and traditional vegetable and animal drugs known as kanpo-yaku (Chinese medicine) and sho-yaku (natural medicine). Drugs that could have strong side effects are among those being targeted by the prohibition. Many such drugs contain the same ingredients as prescription drugs. Only category No. 3 drugs, which include vitamin pills and digestives, will be allowed to be sold online and by mail-order.