Sharing experience in purchasing Japan’s first-class pharmaceuticals

Introduction to Japanese drug classification

this timeNagoya family self-driving parent-child tripI am asked by a relative to purchase Category 1 pharmaceuticals. Let me give you a brief introduction. In Japan, regardless of the type of medicine, the packaging will be marked with "Category X Medical Products". According to the effects and side effects of drugs, they can usually be divided into the following levels:

• Class I pharmaceuticals: These medicines cannot be purchased directly by consumers. They must first consult a pharmacist and use them according to medical instructions. Because their efficacy and risk of side effects are usually higher. There is usually only a box on the product shelves in drugstores. Friends who need to buy should ask the store staff to help them purchase. This type of medicine includes: quick painkillers, medicines for pregnant women, etc.
• Category II pharmaceuticals: The efficacy and risk of side effects are lower than those of Category I drugs, but there is still a certain degree of risk of side effects. Generally, you can purchase products directly from the shelves of drugstores and check out. This type of medicines commonly purchased by Chinese people include: eye drops, cold medicines, anti-allergy medicines, acne medicines, muscle soreness medicines, etc.
• The third category of medicines: Most of the medicines are health care and soothing medicines, which can be used with confidence! This type of medicine includes common health foods such as Ritamine EX and vitamins that people often go to Japan to buy.
• External medicines: Although they are not medicines, but they have functions close to medicines, there will still be a label on the product packaging. The purpose of medicines is "prevention". Products commonly purchased by Chinese people include: Wakamoto tablets and some Japanese babies. Skin care products are also labeled.

In short, if you want to purchase "first-class pharmaceuticals", you need to go through the pharmacist in the store first, and then you can make the purchase after passing the confirmation. The general clerk or store manager of the drug store cannot handle it. Friends, please don’t embarrass them (laughs).

Sharing the purchasing process

The rich man went to several drugstores this time, such as Daguo Drugstore, Matsumoto Kiyoshi, etc. It was observed that pharmacists in drugstores mostly wear white uniforms, giving people a very professional feel. For example, in the picture below, the person wearing a white coat with a yellow frame is our target – pharmacistIt is obviously different from the general store clerk clothes wearing bibs and can be easily identified.

In fact, the purchase was not smooth at first, probably because the rich man was a foreigner and did not speak Japanese. When purchasing, he encountered various situations, such as some store clerks saying that because they were first-class pharmaceuticals, they were not sold to foreigners. Some said they needed a doctor's prescription, and some said the pharmacist was off work and would have to wait until tomorrow. There were various answers, but the result was that the purchase was not successful. But the emperor paid off his hard work, and finally the rich man was thereHamilton Blue Hotel NagoyaMatsumoto Kiyoshi Cosmetics near Nayabashi has successfully purchased first-class pharmaceuticals.

Let me share with you the purchasing process. This time, the rich man was lucky enough to meet a pharmacist who spoke very good English. After the rich man took the medicine box from the shelf and asked the staff, the staff invited a pharmacist to come over. The pharmacist looked at it. After purchasing the product, I returned to the office and took a drug precautions confirmation document printed in Japanese and English (it seems to also be in Chinese). I followed the questions on the document to confirm with the rich man. The questions included: Do you have any doctor’s advice? Use? ,Have you ever used it before? , Are there any allergies during use? , Do you have high blood pressure? After 5 minutes of detailed questioning, the purchase was finally successful. The task was successful. By the way, you can still get a tax refund.

Later, the rich man discovered that the questions asked by the pharmacist were actually the same as the precautions on the medicine packaging (laughing). By the way, some smaller pharmacies do not have resident pharmacists.

rich man experience

Japan’s first-class pharmaceuticals can be purchased by foreign tourists without any problem! But some medicines may require documents/prescription signatures to prove it. Some online purchasing agents actually write a bit exaggeratedly and not very accurately. Another thing is time. Although some drugstores are open until 9 or 10 pm, the rich man feels that pharmacists work more from 9 to 5, so if you go too late, you won't meet them. You need to pay attention to the time. In addition, the rich man thinks that if you are rejected by the store clerk, don’t be discouraged. You can try to find a pharmacist directly in the drug store. Pharmacists usually do not walk around in the store. Most of them will stay in the dispensing area, so you can try your luck. (laugh).

When purchasing medicines from abroad and entering Taiwan, customs regulations require medicines to beFor personal use onlyoh! Then be sure to pay attention to variousDrug purchase quantity limits, please refer to the table below for quantity. If you exceed the quantity and are seized by customs, you will be fined or you will have to throw it away on the spot!

Important regulations!

Western medicine	A maximum of twelve bottles (boxes, cans, strips, sticks) of each type of over-the-counter medicine are allowed, and the total is limited to no more than thirty-six bottles (boxes, cans, strips, sticks). Prescription drugs without a doctor's prescription (or certification document) are limited to two months' dosage. Prescription drugs carried with a doctor's prescription (or certification document) must not exceed the reasonable dosage prescribed on the prescription (or certification document), and the dosage is limited to six months. Injection products must carry a doctor's prescription (or certification document).
Chinese medicinal materials and Chinese medicinal preparations	Each type of Chinese medicinal materials can be no more than one kilogram, and the total cannot exceed twelve types. Each type of traditional Chinese medicine preparations (drugs) can be used at most twelve bottles (boxes), and the total is limited to no more than thirty-six bottles (boxes). If you bring in Chinese herbal medicines and Chinese herbal preparations (drugs) outside the aforementioned limit, you should attach a medical certificate (such as a doctor’s diagnosis certificate), and the amount must not exceed three months.
Food in tablet form and capsule form	A maximum of twelve bottles (boxes, cans, bags, bags) of each type, and the total is limited to no more than thirty-six bottles (boxes, cans, bags, bags).
contact lenses	Sixty tablets of a single strength, but limited to one brand and two different strengths per person.

For details, please refer to Taoyuan Airport’s restrictions on bringing medicines for personal use:https://www.taoyuan-airport.com/selfdrugs

further reading