The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will present the issue of whether or not emergency contraceptives, which prevent unintended pregnancies, can be purchased at pharmacies without a doctor's prescription, and will conduct public comments to solicit opinions from the general public. It's decided.
"Emergency contraceptive pills" can prevent pregnancy to some extent if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse, but a doctor's prescription is required in Japan.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is discussing issues when introducing sales at pharmacies at a study group of experts, and a public comment draft was presented at the meeting on the 30th.
Among these, it is sufficiently clear that the pharmacist who sells the drug needs to determine the possibility of pregnancy, and that emergency contraceptives cannot completely prevent pregnancy because sex education is lagging compared to Europe and the United States. There are some issues that are not understood.
In response to this, the committee recommended that pharmacists conduct advanced training to learn about women's sexuality and pregnancy as a countermeasure, and that there should be a system for obtaining correct information, such as by the government, as incorrect information is being circulated on SNS. Opinion that maintenance should be included was given.
The study group plans to collect public comments by the end of the year, and to compile and publish a report after reflecting the opinions received from the public.