A system failure has occurred at stores nationwide of the Sugi Pharmacy Group, headquartered in Aichi Prefecture, making it impossible to register prescriptions or process payments.
The company believes that Leap Day was the cause and is proceeding with recovery efforts.
According to the Sugi Pharmacy Group, on the morning of the 29th, they received inquiries from stores across the country saying that the prescription system was not working, and a system failure was confirmed.
At approximately 1,300 dispensing stores across the country, including Aichi Prefecture, Kanto and Kansai, the computer systems used to register prescriptions and pay bills are no longer usable.
Pharmacists at each store will, at their own discretion, dispense the medicine for emergencies and have the patient pay for the medication at a later date.
The group believes that the cause of the disaster is that February 29th falls on Leap Day, which occurs once every four years, and is proceeding with recovery efforts.
A spokesperson for the Sugi Pharmacy Group said, ``We apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers.We are working toward recovery, and we would like to be able to respond to normal operations as soon as possible.''