Taking contraception to Japan

I need to know if it's possible to get western contracpetive pills in Japan. I'm currently taking Cerazette, the Progesterone Only Pill for medical reasons. But i might be moving to Japan and need to know if i can take large quantities of it with me or if i can get the prescription over in Japan.

Does anyone have any ideas?

If it's Progesterone only, it must be so called "mini pill." Unfortunately this type is not available in Japan, as far as I know. If it is for medical reasons, I think you can bring several months' supply with you, or have someone ship you some supply through the post.

But if it is needed for medical reasons - I will ask at my clinic when I get a chance.

hmm thanks. I do need it for medical reasons so i have to be sure.

If i cannot get it at a pharmacy or from a doctor, then would it ok for me to have it sent through the post from the UK?

Having it sent from UK should be OK, and I found some import agency (online) who would import it for people in Japan as well.

Note tha to get any contraceptive in Japan, you need to consult a doctor.

So if i was registered with a doctor in Japan i could get a prescription for it then?

Still some types of oral contraceptives are not yet permitted/approved in Japan - all I know is that my doctor gives me a type of pills that contain both hormones (not the mini-pills). Let me find out from my doctor what is available in Japan for people who need the single-hormone type for medical reasons.

Ok thankyou, i'll wait and see what you can find out if you don't mind.

Thankyou very much.

the only way i know you can get it is if you order online from a pharmacy. most pharmacies will require a prescription from a real doctor, and they do verify the prescriptions so don't try to write a fake one as they will just cancel the order (i used to work in a pharmacy..)

good luck. japanese birth control pills suck, which i think is why so many japanese women are against them. they are much stronger and have a "weening" period when a woman wants to stop taking them, about 3 months. i've never met a japanese woman who was willing to take the japanese pill.

Well, I have been taking the "local" pill without any problem for the past few years. Since ten years ago or so, the low-dosage ones (the ones that are not hard on your body) have become available. Yet, since it was quite recent that they became available, compared to some other countries, the tendency so far is that unless you have some medical conditions that require heavier pills for therapeutic purposes, not many people take it.

For years I have either had the pill sent to me from New Zealand, or brought back up to a year's supply each time I have gone home for a holiday. Just make sure your doctor at home will give prescriptions for someone in your family to fill, and have them send it over. Far less hassle than worrying about whether the same pill is available in Japan.

I have actually had the pill I take (different from yours) prescribed by a doctor in Tokyo, but he was a doctor specialising in treating expats, who had imported that pill from Europe and it was very expensive, compared to almost free to have it prescribed from my home country.

Thankyou all for your help, it was very useful.

Angelic,

My doctor wrote back to me to confirm that "mini pills," progesterone only pills, are not approved in Japan as contraceptive pills; the only one that has that formulation in Japan is ethical drug for therapeutic purposes for endometriosis only (with higher dosage of hormone), and is not intended as contraceptive pills.

My doctor admits that the new drug application/approval procedure takes far longer time in Japan compared with some other countries, so unfortunatley the types available here are limited. Her only suggestion is (while she does not blanket-endorse anyone going blindly for pills through imports on their own) to have some shipped in from outside Japan, on the assumption that there is sufficient understanding about the medical implications by the user and also that regular check-ups (maybe back home) are taken by the user as well.

I am not mentioning the doctor's name/contact here for privacy reasons, but I am leaving my e-mail address with the administrator; if you need any further information, please contact the administrator. I hope things work out fine for you!

Thankyou AK, i really appreciate your time and effort to help me. I will take everything you said into consideration.

Thankyou again.

You can order contraception pills through online-pharmacy. The Japanese custom allow you to import 6 months supply. I belive that Japanese online pharmacy is providing the best price in the world.