Japan has approved the sale of an over-the-counter contraceptive pill for the first time, marking a major policy shift in the socially conservative country. The pill, Norlevo, produced by ASKA Pharmaceutical, received official manufacturing and marketing approval on Monday, October 20, allowing women to access emergency contraception without a doctor’s prescription.
Rights groups have long criticised Japan for requiring women to visit a clinic and obtain a prescription for the morning-after pill, a process that campaigners say deters many, particularly rape victims and teenage girls, from seeking help. The Mainichi Shimbun reported that there will be no age restrictions or parental consent requirements for purchasing the pill. However, it will be classified as “medicine requiring guidance,” meaning women must take it in the presence of a pharmacist.
The emergency contraceptive is effective if taken within 72 hours of sex but becomes less reliable over time. Japan began discussing non-prescription access in 2017, with a limited trial rolled out two years ago at only 145 pharmacies, representing less than 0.2 percent of all outlets nationwide. During the trial, the pill was priced between 7,000 and 9,000 yen (around $47–$60).
The move brings Japan in line with more than 90 other countries where the morning-after pill is already available without prescription. The World Health Organization has long advocated that emergency contraception “should be routinely included within all national family planning programmes.”
