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Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/9/11 03:28
Hi,
I am planning a trip with my fianceé going to Japan in May next year and during the trip we will need to bring in some medicines for personal use.

Last visit to Japan was 6 years ago, traveling alone with no medicines so this is new to us both, and we have no idea what procedures to take in order to complete our travel to Japan safely without problems with customs, etc.

Since I have asthmatic disease I will need to bring in such description medicines needed for that, one containing Budesonide) and one containing Terbutalinesulfate).

Also I will bring one over-the-counter medicine containing Paracetamol since I tend to have pain in my muscles sometimes without reason. I have no description for that medicine from any doctor so I am not sure if it is okay to bring that in or if there are any substitute to buy in Japan.

My fiancée have problems with pain during menstruation and are using either over the counter medicines containing either Ibuprofen or Naproxene (two different medicines). Same here I am not sure if there are any prohibities among these over the counter medicines above or if there are any similar that can be bought in Japan.

The medicine containing Budesonide apparently is sensitive to temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius so I was advised to bring two pieces of this medicine. The other medicines have no temperature sensitivities however. I suspect bringing two pieces might be a problem.

Also I am not sure whether its safest to transport the medicine in my hand baggage or the checked-in baggage, considering the temperature and pressure difference between the baggage room and cabin. I am not sure if the airplane cabin might be hotter than 30 degrees Celsius as well as the baggage room, or if the temperature might be too cold in the baggage room making the medicines useless.

We will stay in Japan for four or five weeks. One inhalator each of the Budesonide and Terbutalinesulfate medicines will be enough for that time. The prescription makes it possible for me to use them for at least 2-3 months. The over the counter medicines for both of us will be for at most 1 month of use

Sorry if this seem very complicated but I dont know where to turn with this question. I dont want the customs to throw away my asthma medicines since it will be impossible for me to get a replace medicine while in Japan, which could as well make me hospitalized for the whole stay. Any help with this is greatly appreciated.
by Geo Smith (guest)  

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/9/11 10:11
I'm not an authority on this stuff, so hopefully someone else will reply too, but this is what I understand. Typically taking medication on holiday with you is not a problem, I'm sure there are horror stories but be assured 90% of travellers take this sort of medication with them with no issues.

If you have prescriptions for the asthma medication ( I'm sure you do ) then take them with you. Otherwise get a letter from your doctor saying why you need it. Again I've never known anyone who needed to use such a letter but we've travelled with them just in case.

As I understand it Paracetamol is not sold in Japan, so take that with you if you need it. We've tried to buy in in Japan only to be told by the pharmacist that it doesn't exist there. I've since been told the same thing by my Japanese friends.

Ibuprofen is sold in Japan and it is sold over the counter and under the same name. I bought it there last time for some back pain and although having to say it a few times in my poor Japanese accent ;-) it wasn't hard to get the pharmacist to understand.

As for the temperature stuff, my wife also has temperature dependant medication and we've always carried it in hand luggage. Mostly because you have a rough idea what the temperature will be in the plane, but you have no idea what it might be for the baggage. Even if the baggage isn't exposed to very high temperatures, it might be exposed to large variations in temperature, and that almost certainly won't be good for the medication.

Hope this helps, try not to worry too much!
by GMatt (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/9/11 23:13
Thank you for your reply :)

I asked my fiancée and she probably will not use the Paracetamol medicine but the Naproxene instead since they give better effect.

I try not to worry about this but since its very new all this about needing medicine and hearing horror stories about customs throwing stuff away because it seems like a bomb or something (I went to Ukraine once hearing the police are quite rough and suspicious about foreigners). If it would have been a medicine that was able to buy in Japan it would not have been the same problem though.
by Geo Smith (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/9/12 01:42
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/import/index.html

Japan has strict rules about bringing certain types of medicine into the country even for short-term visitors. See above website....
by Maranyc rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/9/12 03:04
Thank you for your reply.
Since once single asthma inhalator contains 200 doses it will be usable for between 50-100 days according to my description, which is more than the 1 month rule for description medication. Would that be a problem? Would that mean I cannot bring two inhalators in case the first one would be lost or not working?

Also not sure about the over the counter medicine saying a maximum of 24 pieces, does it mean 24 tablets then? If I would happen to bring in 25 tablets would the customs then throw it all away or just one? Sorry for this silly questions, just curious.

Since we will bring medicine into Japan for personal use, should we go to the "red line" and show the medicine we bring in and all documentation?
by Geo Smith (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/9/12 04:32
Always carry medications in your hand luggage in case your checked bag is lost. Generally properly prescribed and documented medication is not a concern. Authorities are likely to make sure any narcotics are legal. If you are still not sure-contact the Japanese consulate before you leave.
by sandy (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/9/12 04:50
I'm not sure where you're getting that over the counter drugs are limited to 24 pieces. From the website posted earlier, I see drugs or quasi-drugs for external use (like ointments and eye-drops) are limited to 24. Otherwise, it seems like prescription drugs are limited to 1-month supply and other drugs (over-the-counter?) are limited to a 2-month supply.
by Liane (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/9/12 08:14
All you need is a letter from your doctor listing the medication you're taking with you ( I have the doctor list both prescription and over the counter meds ) and make sure your prescription medication has been labeled properly.

I travel to Japan twice a year and have never had any problems with any medication I've taken ( some of which are pain medication for severe chronic pain ) and I've only ever had to show the doctor's letter once.

It's worth noting that you should take your own supply of over the counter pain meds rather than rely on the Japanese pharmacies. Their dosages for medicines such as paracetamol and ibuprofen are quite small. For example here in Australia, one tablet of paracetamol is 500 mg ( 2 taken every 4-6 hours ) whereas and similar medication in Japan, such as Tylenol, is only about 160 mg. It is also at least twice as expensive...

by Bear (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/9/12 19:21
Seems I misread the information about 24 pieces, I thought it was for over-the-counter medicine.

Anyway, thank you very much for your replies.

Who is it i should contact in case i have any specific questions about medicine allowed? Is it the Japanese customs?
by Geo Smith (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/9/25 22:55
Still not sure what queue to enter when passing the customs at Narita airport. Since I will bring both non-prescription and prescription drugs for personal use, not more than what is allowed to bring (2 month use for non-prescription and 1 month for prescription drug), will I need to enter the "red line" queue or what it is called and show them the contents of my bag?
by Geo Smith (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/10/4 19:13
I am quite curious what to do too with the customs lines etc. I suppose you guys who replied before must know something. Please reply.
by Nobo (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/10/4 20:12
Terbutaline sulfate and Budesonide are prescribed in Japan (that means they are not prohibited).

Paracetamol under this name is not approved, but Acetaminophen (the same substance) is and is contained in cold medicine prescribed (I remember the medicine name as I was looking it up).

Ibuprofen is widely used. Naproxene is contained in prescribed medicine.


Customs "declaration" queues are more for bringing in major items bought overseas and declaring them for import duty assessment. So I would line up for the "green" queue. Check the back of the customs declaration form, which you will be handed during the flight and need to fill one form per family, to see exactly what they ask.
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/10/4 21:02
Thanks for your reply AX. About the Paracetamol, do you know why it is not approved? Since the other cold medicine you mentioned contains the same, how come it is approved then? Is there a list I can look at, since there are several other brands over here that contains Paracetamol, for example Alvedon (By GlaxoSmithKline), Panodil (also by GlaxoSmithKline), Paracetamol Actavis (By Actavis), etc..

I will use them for headache or neck pain in case needed, or else it could be unbearable.
by Geo Smith (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/10/4 22:47
The last two visits I've had to take heart medication. Since I don't like excess stuff with me, I always put them in the weekly pillboxes so I don't carry any more than I have to. I bring them in my carry-on so they don't get lost. Both of those times I went through customs without anyone stopping me. The only time I have been stopped, they only checked my checked baggage....
by John B digs Japan rate this post as useful

Don't worry; you'll be fine 2012/10/5 04:32
I'm a Japanese citizen living in Japan. I have traveled to many countries in Europe, Asia and Oceania. I've purchased over-the-counter medicines like Paracetamol and nasal spray for allergy in Europe and brought them back to Japan. I've never had problems clearing the customs here. I've also taken some prescription drugs from my country to Europe and brought them back to my country without any problems. If you have your prescription drugs in a pharmacy bag, you will not encounter any problems at the customs here. If you are still worried, ask your doctor to write a medical certificate in English. I hope this information helps.
by Cizu rate this post as useful

Re: Bringing medicine into Japan, procedures? 2012/10/16 21:09
Thanks for your replies guys.

I still wish there was some kind of list of medicines allowed and not allowed to bring into Japan even for personal use. I might have missed some page perhaps, in that case then I am sorry.

I was wondering about medicine for stomach problems containing Omeprazole, if anyone knows if that is allowed? Its not narcotic drugs what I know and sold here as over-the-counter medicine.
by Geo Smith (guest) rate this post as useful

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