REGULATORY

MHLW to Brand OTC-Like Drug Cost Rule as “Partially Non-Insured Care”

By Ken Yoshino February 17, 2026

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Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) plans to introduce a new patient cost-sharing framework for so-called “OTC-like” prescription drugs under the name of “partially non-insured medical care,” Jiho has learned. The scheme will be incorporated into a bill…

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COMMENTARY

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