Femtech Fes! Online Vol. 6: Online Prescriptions & The Pill
Healthcare digitization is evolving at a tremendous pace. Online medical examinations and prescriptions are also steadily progressing in Japan. Many of you may have seen the news that online prescriptions for low-dose birth control pills and emergency contraceptives have been partially approved in Japan.
This time, we invited Gomi Hayakawa from Utsuwa Inc., who is also considering developing an online pill prescription service, as a guest to unravel the situation of online prescriptions and birth control pills.
Basic Knowledge of Online Medical Examinations and Prescriptions
Online medical examination refers to medical acts, including examination, diagnosis, and prescription, performed between a doctor and a patient remotely. In Japan, in March 2018, medical fees were added, making it possible to conduct online medical examinations within the scope of insurance-covered medical treatment.
Online medical care has various conditions, such as requiring an initial consultation in person and limitations on target diseases. Until now, the number of medical institutions that could provide online medical care remained at around 1,000. However, due to the spread of COVID-19, it rapidly expanded to over 10,000 facilities by the end of April 2020.
▼Telephone/online medical care implemented at 11,739 facilities
https://www.m3.com/open/iryoIshin/article/765380/
Oral contraceptives (pills) were developed in the United States in the 1960s. In Japan, they are categorized into OCs (contraceptive pills), LEPs (low-dose pills for dysmenorrhea), and ECs (emergency contraceptives), but globally, these three types tend to be collectively referred to as OCs.
At the event, we explored the situation of pills in various countries, with participants, using a website that shows how pills are provided in each country.
▼Global Oral Contraception Availability
http://ocsotc.org/world-map/
We also introduced online medical examination and prescription services available in Japan.
sai＋ https://sai.clinicfor.life/
Sumaluna https://sumaluna.com/
On the other hand, Ms. Hayakawa was skeptical about using online medical examination services that only prioritize simplicity. At the end of the event, she pointed out the low rate of gynecological check-ups in Japan (※) and emphasized the importance of in-person consultations, citing examples of female-specific diseases (such as cervical cancer and endometriosis).
Regular check-up rates in Japan
Gynecology: 20%
Women-specific cancer screening: 40% (Over 70-80% in Europe and the US)
Source: Japan Health Policy Council "Survey on Health Promotion for Working Women 2018" (2020/05/15)
There are various reasons for the low adoption rate of birth control pills and gynecological check-ups in Japan. There was a lively discussion in the comments, with remarks such as "the idea of visiting for preventive care is not common," "gynecological examinations are not included in mandatory regular check-ups," and "the term 'obstetrician-gynecologist' might be raising the barrier." Knowing how the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and hospitals perceive this situation also helps us think. It was an event that made me feel the importance of raising awareness among each one of us.
Questions that could not be answered during the event due to time constraints will be answered at a later date, to the extent possible.
Femtech Fes! Online will be held again in the future. We look forward to seeing you there!
For the latest event information, click here.