REGULATORY

MHLW Panel OKs Technical Review Group for OTC-Like Drug Charge System

By Takashi Ebisawa June 19, 2026
A health ministry panel on June 18 approved the creation of a technical review group to work out the details of Japan’s new patient charge system for so-called “OTC-like” prescription medicines, ahead of its planned implementation in March next year.…

To read the full story

Related Article

REGULATORY

Japan’s cost-effectiveness assessment (CEA) panel has approved a revised handling policy for the CEA system for FY2026, with the health…

By Tatsuya Otsuka

Japan’s leading pharmaceutical wholesalers are bracing for a second consecutive year of profit declines, underscoring the growing challenge of generating…

By Philip Carrigan

In the complex landscape of the Japanese pharmaceutical market, the “status quo” is often the safest harbor. But for leaders like Kennet Brysting, former president of Gilead Japan, the status quo is the most dangerous place to stay.Innovation in Japan…

Japan’s Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo) on November 5 approved the reimbursement listing for a slate of new medicines,…

By Ken Yoshino

The Japanese government on March 7 announced new NHI prices to be applied in the FY2025 drug price revision, revealing…

The Japanese government approved a bill to amend the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices (PMD) Act at its Cabinet meeting on…

Japan’s health ministry doled out regulatory approvals for a throng of new medicines on December 27 including Eli Lilly’s obesity…

Japan’s all-important reimbursement policy panel on December 20 approved an outline of drug pricing reforms for FY2024, which enshrines a…