Continuing Your Regular Medication in Japan: Getting a Japanese Prescription for Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Thyroid, Asthma and Contraceptive Drugs

Can you use your prescription from home in Japan?

A prescription written abroad cannot be filled at a pharmacy in Japan. Under the Pharmacists Act, a pharmacist may dispense only on a prescription issued by a doctor, dentist or veterinarian, which in practice means a practitioner licensed in Japan. ^[1] To keep taking blood pressure tablets, diabetes or thyroid medication, an asthma inhaler, the contraceptive pill or any other long-term drug, you need to see a doctor in Japan and have it prescribed again. This applies to tourists, students and new residents alike.

What to bring to the appointment

Bring the original box or blister pack, or a medication list from your doctor at home. The most important detail is the generic name, also called the international nonproprietary name (INN), such as amlodipine or levothyroxine, because brand names differ from country to country. Note the strength and how often you take it. Tokyo's guide for foreign patients lists the medicines and supplements you are currently taking among the things to prepare before a visit, along with identification and your proof of health insurance. ^[2] If you take a controlled drug, also bring the permit you used to carry it into Japan.

How the doctor finds the Japanese equivalent

The doctor looks up the ingredient rather than the brand. Most common long-term medicines are approved in Japan under the same generic name, sometimes at a different strength, in a different formulation or from a different manufacturer. A 10 mg tablet at home may be sold as 5 mg tablets in Japan, so the number of tablets changes while the dose stays the same. The doctor and pharmacist will work this out for you. Our guide to medicines in Japan lets you search by ingredient and shows the Japanese product names and the katakana spelling printed on packaging. If no match exists, ask whether a drug of the same class is used in Japan instead.

How many days of medicine can one prescription cover?

For most long-term medicines there is no fixed legal limit on the number of days a prescription may cover. Since April 2002 the rule has been that the doctor prescribes for as long as they judge medically appropriate, and 30 to 90 days is common for a stable condition. ^[3] Two groups are exceptions. Newly approved medicines are limited to 14 days per prescription for one year from the month after they are listed for insurance pricing, and certain narcotics and psychotropic drugs also carry day limits. ^[3] If your medicine falls into one of these groups, you will need to see the doctor more often, so allow for this if you are staying for a long time.

Refill prescriptions (リフィル処方箋)

Since the April 2022 fee revision, doctors can issue a refill prescription for patients whose condition is stable. One prescription can be used up to three times. The doctor sets how many days each fill covers, and the pharmacy dispenses the second and third fills without another consultation. Medicines with a legal day limit, such as new drugs and controlled substances, are excluded, as are compress patches. The first fill follows the normal validity rules, and later fills should be collected within seven days before or after the scheduled date. ^[4] Not every clinic offers refills, so ask. If the doctor checks the リフィル可 box, keep the prescription safe: the pharmacy hands it back after each fill.

At the pharmacy: the four-day limit and generics

A Japanese prescription is valid for four days, counting the day it is issued and any weekends and holidays. After that you need a new one. ^[2] Take it to any dispensing pharmacy (薬局, yakkyoku). Unless the doctor has marked the prescription as not substitutable, the pharmacist may offer a generic (ジェネリック, jenerikku). A generic is a lower-priced medicine made with the same active ingredient after the original drug's patent has expired, and its effectiveness and safety have been confirmed as equivalent to the original. To ask for one, say "ジェネリックでお願いします" (jenerikku de onegai shimasu). You will be given a medicine notebook (お薬手帳, okusuri techo) or an app entry recording what was dispensed. Keep it, because it becomes your medication list for the next visit. See how to use a Japanese pharmacy for more detail.

If your medicine does not exist in Japan

Some drugs that are common elsewhere are not approved in Japan, and some are approved only at different strengths or for different conditions. A doctor cannot prescribe an unapproved medicine through the normal system, so ask about the closest approved alternative and whether switching is appropriate for you. If you would rather keep using your own supply, you may bring up to a one-month supply of a prescription medicine into Japan without paperwork, and up to one month of injectables in pre-filled or self-injection form. Beyond that, you must obtain an import confirmation, the Yakkan Shoumei, before you travel. ^[5] See bringing medication to Japan and how to apply for a Yakkan Shoumei.

Controlled substances

ADHD stimulants, strong painkillers and some sleeping and anti-anxiety tablets are controlled in Japan. Amphetamine products such as Adderall cannot be brought in even with a prescription, while lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) and narcotics such as morphine need advance permission from the Narcotics Control Department. ^[6] In Japan, methylphenidate (Concerta) and lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) can be prescribed only by doctors registered in the ADHD drug distribution management system and dispensed only by registered pharmacies, and the patient is registered too. ^[7] Narcotic painkillers can be prescribed only by doctors who hold a narcotics license. Sleeping and anti-anxiety tablets can be prescribed by any doctor, but many carry a limit on the number of days per prescription, and the Japanese equivalent may be a different drug. See ADHD medicines in Japan and start the process well before you travel.

Insulin and other injectables

Insulin, GLP-1 injections and biologics for asthma or arthritis are all prescribed in Japan, but pen brands and cartridge sizes may differ, so bring the exact product name and your current dose in units. Keep insulin cool in transit, and ask the pharmacist how to store it once opened. Used needles should not go out with ordinary household rubbish: the recommended practice is to take them back, in a hard container, to the clinic or hospital that prescribed them, and in some areas pharmacies collect them too, so ask where to return them when you collect the prescription. ^[8]

Contraception

In Japan the combined pill is a prescription medicine and cannot be bought over the counter. A gynecologist (婦人科, fujinka), or a doctor at many general clinics, can prescribe it after a consultation, often without an examination. When prescribed for contraception, it is not covered by health insurance. As a rough guide, clinics typically charge around ¥2,000 to ¥4,000 a month for the pill, plus a consultation fee; each clinic sets its own price. The same drugs may be covered when prescribed for a diagnosed condition such as painful periods. Bring your current pack, because the same hormone combinations are sold under different names here. Emergency contraception is handled differently: since February 2, 2026 a levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive has been sold without a prescription, face to face by specially trained pharmacists at the pharmacies on the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare list, and the ministry advises phoning the pharmacy first to check stock. ^[9]

How much does it cost to keep getting your medicine?

With Japanese public health insurance you generally pay 30% of the bill. As a rough guide, a repeat visit for a stable condition plus a month of a common generic often comes to a few thousand yen in total. Without insurance you pay the full amount, and clinics may bill visitors at a higher rate. As a rough guide, expect something like ¥5,000 to ¥15,000 for the consultation, depending on the clinic, plus the full price of the medicines. Brand-name products and injectables cost considerably more.

Finding a clinic in your language

For blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid and asthma, start with internal medicine (内科, naika); for the pill, gynecology. Use our clinic search to find clinics that consult in English, Chinese or Korean. Book ahead where possible and say that you need a regular medicine re-prescribed; some clinics ask for a photo of the box in advance.

Glossary

• 処方箋 (shohosen) — prescription
• リフィル処方箋 (rifiru shohosen) — refill prescription, usable up to three times
• 一般名 / 成分名 (ippanmei / seibunmei) — generic (ingredient) name
• ジェネリック / 後発医薬品 (jenerikku / kohatsu iyakuhin) — generic medicine
• お薬手帳 (okusuri techo) — medicine notebook
• 薬局 (yakkyoku) — dispensing pharmacy
• 内科 (naika) — internal medicine
• 婦人科 (fujinka) — gynecology
• 低用量ピル (teiyoryo piru) — low-dose contraceptive pill
• 薬監証明 (yakkan shomei) — import confirmation certificate (officially 輸入確認証 since September 2020)