Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co’s net profit plunged 50.5 pct to 10,067 million yen in the aftermath of a health hazard scandal involving its supplements containing “beni koji” red fermented rice.
PFAS concentrations in blood samples from 87.4 pct of those tested in a town in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, exceeded a U.S. standard for the potentially carcinogenic chemicals, it was learned Tuesday. A total of 709 people, aged 2 to 102, took blood tests between November and December last year in the town of roughly 10,000 inhabitants. The highest recorded level of PFOA stood at 718.8 nanograms per milliliter of blood, while the average amounts of the seven PFAS substances totaled 151.5 nanograms, both significantly higher than the U.S. health standard.
The team conducted a survey of 421 people aged 20-79 living in Japan who were not receiving treatment for sleep disorders. It analyzed gaps between their answers on sleep length and quality and doctors’ assessments based on brain wave and blood oxygen saturation level data.
An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed at a poultry farm in the town of Yachiyo, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, the prefectural government said Sunday.
The health ministry announced plans Thursday to revise regulations to allow over-the-counter (OTC) drugs to be picked up at convenience stores without the presence of pharmacists or registered salespersons. Customers will be required to receive explanations about the medication online from a pharmacist or registered salesperson before making a purchase.
The central Japan prefecture of Shizuoka logged the longest estimated average healthy life expectancy for both men and women as of 2022, at 73.75 and 76.68 years respectively, the health ministry said Tuesday. Meanwhile, Iwate Prefecture ranked bottom among the nation’s 47 prefectures for both men and women, at 70.93 and 74.28 years.
The Japanese government plans to reduce the official prices for nearly half of all drugs under the public health insurance program in its fiscal 2025 revision, informed sources said Friday. This is expected to cut national medical expenses by some 250 billion yen, alleviating burdens on patients while squeezing the pharmaceutical industry.
Wintry temperatures have arrived in the Japanese capital and surrounding Kanto region. It’s the season when taking a bath can feel good, but that also means a higher risk of accidents, so experts are advising vigilance against so-called “heat shock”: sudden changes in blood pressure that can make someone lose consciousness or suffer a stroke.
The Japanese government will stop issuing new health insurance cards on Dec. 2 as planned in a move to integrate them into “My Number” electronic personal identification cards.While the government will stop issuing new health insurance cards on Monday, most people will remain unaffected by the move in the short term as existing health insurance cards can still be used for another year. People without My Number cards can still use their existing health insurance cards for their visits to hospitals, dental clinics and pharmacies during the grace period — which ends on Dec. 1, 2025 — as long as they remain valid.
Japan’s health ministry is considering raising the caps on out-of-pocket payments patients make to hospitals under the public health insurance system. The ministry hopes to begin discussions on the issue soon and decide a basic course of action within this year at the earliest.
Barrier Free Japan