Japan has for the first time approved over-the-counter sales of an emergency contraceptive pill, its manufacturer says, allowing women in the country to take the medication without prescription.
ASKA Pharmaceutical said wider access to the pill would empower Japanese women in the area of reproductive health. A date for it to go on sale has yet to be announced.
The pill will be labelled as medicine requiring guidance, meaning women must take it in the presence of a pharmacist.
The morning-after pill is already available without prescription in more than 90 countries. Japan's conservative views on abortion are rooted in patriarchy and deeply traditional views on the role of women.
ASKA Pharmaceutical said in a statement that it has obtained the marketing authorisation as a switch to OTC [over-the-counter] use of the emergency contraceptive pill commercialised under the trademark Norlevo.
There will be no age restrictions on buyers and no requirement for parental consent, according to reports. The company had filed for regulatory approval in 2024, following prescription-free trial sales of the pill the previous year.
During the trial, Norlevo was made available at 145 pharmacies in Japan. Until then, the pill had only been supplied at clinics or pharmacies with a doctor's examination and prescription.
Rights groups previously criticized the trial as too limited and called for the lifting of restrictions, arguing that requiring a prescription deterred younger women and rape victims from accessing emergency contraception.
The move to sell the drug without a prescription was first discussed in 2017, with a health ministry panel noting public support for increased access. Although previously halted, the approval process has now seen a breakthrough.
Norlevo, which contains levonorgestrel, is most effective within 72 hours after unprotected sex and has an efficacy rate of 80%.
