病院でよく出る薬を、薬局ですぐ買える「零売」を守る訴訟 Lawsuit to Protect Direct Sales of Common Hospital Medications at Pharmacies
一部の医療用医薬品は本来、処方箋なしで購入可能ですが、厚生労働省の通達により販売や広告が制限されています。零売薬局は忙しい人や軽症の人に適切な薬を提供できますが、国の規制で利用が困難です。この不合理な制限に異議を唱え、必要な人に薬が届く社会を守るため、2025年1月17日、東京地裁に国を相手取った訴訟を提起しました。これは薬剤師だけでなく、医薬品を必要とするすべての人の問題です。 Some common hospital medications can legally be sold without a prescription in Japan, but the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare currently restricts their sale and advertising. This makes it hard for direct-sale pharmacies to offer convenient access to needed medicine for busy or mildly ill people. To challenge this unfair limitation and ensure access to medication for those who need it, a lawsuit was filed against the State at Tokyo District Court on January 17, 2025. This issue impacts not only pharmacists, but everyone who relies on accessible medicine.