Problems with Mail-Order Drug Subscriptions Rising in Japan

Tokyo, Feb. 3 (Jiji Press)–Consumer problems linked to mail-order drug subscriptions are on the rise in Japan, as refund and cancellation conditions are sometimes difficult to understand. The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan (NCAC) is calling on people to carefully check contract details before completing orders to purchase nonprescription drugs online. The number of consultations regarding online drug purchases at consumer affairs centers and other organizations across the country in fiscal 2024 rose 1.5-fold from the previous year to 2,066. By age group, those in their 70s and above accounted for the largest share of the total, at 57 pct, followed by those in their 60s, at 24 pct, excluding cases for which age information was unavailable. In fiscal 2025 through March, the number of consultations had already reached 1,481 as of the end of October last year. In one case, a man in his 70s consulted a consumer center last May over a drug to treat athlete’s foot he had purchased after seeing an internet ad. The man, thinking he had ordered a single item, tried to cancel the order after four items were delivered under a subscription contract. He was told, however, that cancellations could not be made on the first purchase. Another consultation received by the consumer center last June involved a woman in her 60s who purchased a drug claimed to remove numbness in the hands and feet after seeing an ad on a video website. As the woman developed a rash after using the product several times, she wanted to return the drug but was told she could not cancel immediately due to a subscription purchase agreement. Only drugstores and other shops authorized under the pharmaceutical and medical device law are allowed to sell nonprescription drugs online. Websites selling such drugs are required to provide information such as the store’s address and product availability. The NCAC encourages people to check before purchasing drugs whether information required by the law is properly indicated on the website, and whether there are any conditions regarding the minimum number of purchases required. The NCAC also underlines the need to consult a doctor before purchasing such drugs to avoid the risk of side effects. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]