My family is planning a trip to Japan for September, and my mother has a large list of medications she needs to take. We have already gone over which ones are and aren’t legal there. The issue is, since she has so many medications, getting doctor’s notes for each and every one of them is seeming like an overwhelming task.
The question I have is: Is taking doctor’s notes for the medications necessary? Would bringing just the prescriptions suffice?
2 comments
>The issue is, since she has so many medications, getting doctor’s notes for each and every one of them is seeming like an overwhelming task.
You should read what is actually required by the Japanese Government, then.
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html
As long as you are not bringing more than a one-month supply and it doesn’t fall on the restricted list (Narcotic), you do not need to declare anything. Do note that there is a banned list (Methamphetamines, Psychotropics, etc.) that you cannot bring at all.
Review the FAQ that’s linked on that page.
I had a couple of medications so I’ve looked into this and made as many preparations as I could. However, no one ever checked my doctor’s letter, not even at customs. I had it to be safe, though. Only figured I would need it for 1 medication, the other 2 I kept in their Rx bottles but did nothing special for them.
The only medications I would suggest having a letter would be any that are potentially restricted, e.g. hormone replacement, antidepressants, etc. But for any/all prescriptions, the only thing you need is to have it in its original packaging – no mixing or dumping them all into unlabeled containers. As long as it has the Rx label on it, you’re golden. If mom’s prescriber is the same for all of them, you can get one blanket letter just in case but if it’s a hassle, I’d focus on the most hardcore – anything restricted, since there are a few of those so long as you’re bringing in only enough for your trip.