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[Contents]

・Purchasing Medicine

・Questions you may be asked at the Pharmacy

・Pharmacies providing services in foreign languages

[Links]

・Janan Pharmaceutical Association English Contents

・Akita International Association

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・Jananese Contents
　 　（日本語訳ページ）

Purchasing Medicine

Prescription Medicines

Major hospitals in Akita Prefecture can write patients a prescription for their medical needs. More and more clinics have also started writing prescriptions for patients.
If you are given a prescription bring your health insurance certificate to a pharmacy ( yakkyoku ) with the following signs : Shohosen uketsuke ( receiving prescriptions ) Hoken-chozai ( insured dispensing ) or Kijun-yakkoku ( accredited pharmacy ). At yakkyoku, you can purchase both prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines ( OTC ), but you cannot fill prescriptions at yakuten ( drugstores ).

Prescription Validity

Your prescriptions valid for four days including the day of issue. If you fair to pick up your prescription within four days, you will have to ask the doctor for a new one.

Prescription Contents

The prescription lists the patient's name, Sex, birth date, insurance number, Prescription issue date, medical facility, address, Phone number, doctor's name, medicine, and its dosage and administration. The disease and test results are not included.
● Name of the medicine : ( example ) Tablet A, 300mg
● Dosage : if you are prescribed a medicine to take orally, the amount to take per day and the number of days are included. For external use, the total amount of medicine is also included.
● Administration : ( example ) after meals, When headaches occur, twice daily, take orally.

Family Pharmacy ( Kakari-tsuke yakkyoku )

Japanese pharmacies keep records of a patient's medication history to avoid confusion or prescription errors.
If a patient receives several different kinds of medications from more than one medical institution, a Kakari-tsuke yakkyoku helps the patient avoid taking drugs with overlapping effects or other possible inconveniences. In this way, the medicine's effectiveness and safety are assured.
Therefore, it is important to choose a reliable Kakari-tsuke yakkyoku where you can keep your medicine and records under good management.

Medicine Notebook ( Okusuri Techo )

Pharmacies issue the Okusuri Techo ( medicine notebook ). If you already have one, be sure to show it to the receptionist at the pharmacy along with your prescription.
The Okusuri Techo shows your medical history such as the names of the medical institutions you have visited and past prescriptions'names, dosage and administration.
Once you receive your medicine notebook, ascertain that the information is correct. The Okusuri Techo also serves as a good reference when you visit different medical institutions.
The Okusuri Techo is an important source of your medical history. Be sure to keep it in a safe place.