Drugmaker Aska Pharmaceutical said on Oct 20 that it had “obtained manufacturing and marketing approval” for its over-the-counter contraceptive Norlevo. - ASKA PHARMACEUTICAL via ST/ANN
TOKYO: Japan has given regulatory approval for an over-the-counter contraceptive pill, its manufacturer said on Monday (Oct 20), the first time the socially conservative country has greenlighted so-called "morning-after" medication without a prescription.
Rights groups have long criticised the fact that women in Japan can only access emergency medication to prevent pregnancy with a doctor's prescription and a trip to a clinic or pharmacy.
