Hello all! I am in Japan for the year and I am on a medication that I take via self-injection. I recently extended my period of residency and so I did not bring enough needles with me to last the full year period; I have enough medication, but I need new syringes and needles. I have heard that Japan is relatively strict about needle access–in my home country, just carrying the prescription for the meds is enough to let me get whatever needles I ask for from a pharmacy, but does anyone know if that will be sufficient here in Japan, especially given that it is prescribed by a doctor from my home country and not one here in Japan? The prescription is in English and does not specify on it what size needles. (Also, stupid question, but is that something I’d get from a pharmacy here?)
7 comments
Best bet probably to buy online but wont be that cheap. No idea if they get confiscated if opened though. I dont know the laws on possessing them versus selling etc
I have been syringes (and I think needles too) a while ago in Can Do. They were in the makeup and cosmetics section and produced in Europe (I think in the Netherlands if I remember correctly). I was very surprised to see them there. Not sure if Can Do still sells them but it might be worth a shot to check 😉
How did you get the medication without syringes?
Hopefully you’re already aware that bringing more than one month of an injectable medication into the country without prior permission is a crime. See https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html Needless to say, if someone were to have inadvertently done that, they might want to be careful about who they tell that to.
Regardless, you might be better off just getting a new prescription so that you’re “in the system” here and can get syringes like everyone else without raising questions.
To do that, you would want to go to a doctor, ideally bringing your prescription or even the medication itself, and explain the situation and ask them to prescribe you the same thing.
use your NHI, go to a doctor
Pretty sure you won’t be able to get needles. My mom was visiting us and her insulin pump stopped working, we went to 5 hospitals during Obon and was told by every one that you can’t get needles. She had the insulin and had given herself shots for years. We ended up finding a hospital with a doctor available and he was able to give her a shot.
Good luck. I hope you can figure it out.
Even for my diabetic cat, the insulin was in pre filled syringes.
I see some being sold on Amazon Japan, so I assume it’s legal to buy? https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B09TPJ26MN/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=ZEJNHEQ7B4D4&keywords=insulin+syringe+needle&qid=1691272283&sprefix=%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-2