Pharmaceutical company tests medicine vending machine in train station

Are the medicines all 1/4 the standard dosage used in the West?

Pharmacists that are stationed inside the drugstore nearby are notified through a device when a customer has selected nonprescription medicine via the vending machine.

The user is then able to acquire the item after staff approval.

If they're OTC products, I don't see what the big deal is. I've never understood why OTC drugs are divided into different classes here, with some requiring a pharmacist to dispense. If they're OTC, and thus do not require a prescription, they should be open to purchase directly by the consumer.

And don't get me started on the incredibly low dosages and high prices of OTC drugs here. They are so much more effective and less expensive in the US. (OTC medication cost is probably the one area of the US healthcare system that isn't broken.)

Great idea. Horrible hours. Unless your lucky enough to live next to 24 hour pharmacy, getting a hold of OTC drugs is pain after 9pm. Those with allergies know the pain….

The tech and mindset there to just set up a machine near a connivence store or and a spotlight and camera, get people to get a card or tracking app as a legal deterrent and let people get access to drugs they need.

Don’t prescription drugs in Japan need a doctor’s authority?

Surprised this hasn’t been a regular thing actually.

I know I could definitely use some Aleve or DayQuil during the day……wait, they don’t sell those here…….

Before vending machines I would think convenience stores would be a better step. All the controls from the machine could be done by the clerks and since approval by a pharmacist is still a requirement it would be the same for them if the notification came from a store than from a vending machine.

Are the medicines all 1/4 the standard dosage used in the West?

no they aren’t. Dosage is based on the clinical prescriber. And if it’s a generic brand then it’s the exact same dosage. You can read the back of the box of two similar drugs. Eg ibuprofen in the west or ibuprofen in Japan.

however your body index could play a part in the dosages required.

shogun36Today  09:50 am JST 

I know I could definitely use some Aleve or DayQuil during the day……wait, they don’t sell those here…….

yes they are here in Japan.

Aleve isn’t an over the counter medication in many countries due to it’s possible side effects.

you can get it here under a naproxen produced by Mitsubishi pharmaceuticals. Just because everything is popped over the counter in the USA doesn’t mean it is popped over the counter everywhere.

so many people here post medical myths that just aren’t that true.

no they aren’t.

Yes, they are. Not all 1/4, but many are less. One example is acetaminophen (tylenol/panadol). In Australia, the standard tablet is 500mg, and advice on the pack is 1-2 tablets up to 4 times a day. In Japan, the standard tablet is 300mg, recommended dose of 1 tablet up to 3 times a day. Huge difference.

Fuzzy - agree.

But it's not just the dosage differences, but the enormous price difference.

Acetaminophen in it's various guises is one of the most effective moderate pain relief medicines available and it's incredibly cheap to manufacture. But OTC at drug stores here it's usually a ridiculous price.

And simple Aspirin as a basic anti-inflammatory/pain medicine is cheap as chips the world over - but not here.

And tons of other examples. Generics have taken a bit of the heat off, but no where near as much as should be.

Only reason is protection for the massive Japanese Pharmaceutical Industry.

Its the one thing I always stock up on when abroad... never buy OTC meds here.

Mr Kipling

Its the one thing I always stock up on when abroad... never buy OTC meds here.

I used to do that. But, since I haven't travelled abroad in a few years, I just buy the economy size bottles from Amazon US or Walgreens (US drugstore chain), and forward them here. I only do it with non-prohibited medicines (no sudafed/pseudoephedrine, for example). Even with shipping, it's still wayyyyyy cheaper than buying the equivalents in Japan. Plus, I get the proper dosages, which is also important.

Pain killers that's all we need now, soon someone will figure out how to abuse the system and we will have an Epidemic.

Mark

Pain killers that's all we need now, soon someone will figure out how to abuse the system and we will have an Epidemic.

If you're referring specifically to opiate painkillers (common aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen are also painkillers), they already have them in Japan. But, as elsewhere, they are only available by prescription. Thus, they would not be available in one of these vending machines.

Pain killers that's all we need now, soon someone will figure out how to abuse the system and we will have an Epidemic.

Good luck - they won't prescribe opioids for pain in Japan unless you're dying.

FuzzyJune 5  11:06 am JST

no they aren’t.

Yes, they are. Not all 1/4, but many are less. One example is acetaminophen (tylenol/panadol). In Australia, the standard tablet is 500mg, and advice on the pack is 1-2 tablets up to 4 times a day. In Japan, the standard tablet is 300mg, recommended dose of 1 tablet up to 3 times a day. Huge difference.

Of course there are differences I stand corrected but generally I find the differences to be small as MOST are the same.

Tests? Insanely featherbrained of them. React instead of anticipate the dangers - totally insipid to even suggest such research.