Japan has approved over-the-counter sales of an emergency contraceptive pill, its manufacturer says, allowing women in the country to take such medication without prescription for the first time.
ASKA Pharmaceutical said wider access to the pill would "empower Japanese women in the area of reproductive health". A date for it to go on sale has yet to be announced.
The pill will be labelled as "medicine requiring guidance", meaning women must take it in the presence of a pharmacist.
The "morning-after" pill is already available without prescription in more than 90 countries. Japan's conservative views on abortion are rooted in patriarchy and deeply traditional views on the role of women.
In a statement on Monday, ASKA Pharmaceutical said it "has obtained the marketing authorisation as a switch to OTC [over-the-counter] use of the emergency contraceptive pill commercialised under the trademark Norlevo".
