Tariffs have been a defining feature of US trade policy under President Donald Trump’s second administration. Since Trump unveiled his “reciprocal” tariff policy in April 2025, the landscape has shifted repeatedly.In February 2026, the US Supreme Court invalidated tariffs imposed…
COMMENTARY
Pharmacies Reel from Pricey Drug Waste, Sparking Calls for Packaging Overhaul and Price Penalties
Leftover stocks of high-priced medicines are emerging as a serious headache for Japanese pharmacies, fueling financial stress and even bankruptcies in some cases. The Japan Pharmaceutical Association (JPA) is urging drug makers to adjust their sales packaging units to match…
To read the full story
Related Article
- Japan to Survey Drug Waste at Pharmacies amid Rising Concerns Over Disposal Costs
July 11, 2025
- At JPA’s Behest, FPMAJ Asks Members to Align Packaging with Approved Dosages
May 19, 2025
- JPA Asks for Price Penalty for High-Cost Meds with Packaging Unaligned to Dosing
March 14, 2025
- JPA Calls for Improving Package Units as Pharmacies Suffer with Unsold Stocks of Pricey Meds
December 19, 2024
COMMENTARY
- Deeper CEA Price Cuts Demand More Than a “Certain Degree of Validity”
November 2, 2026
- Alzheimer’s Pipeline Looks Past Amyloid to Earlier Intervention, Tau Targets
October 28, 2026
- Lp(a) Drugs Face Next Test in Quest to Cut Cardiovascular Risk
October 19, 2026
- Japan Moves to Break Plasma Product Capacity Crunch with Factory Aid
October 6, 2026
- Survodutide Could Carve Out Role in MASH as Next-Gen Dual Agonist
September 28, 2026
As Japan’s budget season draws near, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has renewed its push for a full-scale “off-year” drug…
Japan is pressing ahead with broader drug price cuts under its cost-effectiveness assessment (CEA) system, despite lingering questions over the…
Members of a key reimbursement policy panel on October 28 raised no objections to expanding drug makers’ access to deliberations…
Eli Lilly’s breast cancer drug Imulrio (imlunestrant) is finally joining Japan’s NHI price list on October 14, nearly 300 days…
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) on March 5 unveiled the revised NHI prices for drugs subject to…
Japan’s Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo) on November 5 approved the reimbursement listing for a slate of new medicines,…
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…