IHS Global Insight Perspective | |
Significance | The MHLW has implemented extraordinary measures to tackle the series of disasters the country is facing, including custom exemptions on medicine relief supplies from abroad. |
Implications | This is the biggest natural and nuclear power plant crisis the nation has ever experienced. As no previous disaster-management methodology is sufficient in the current context, extraordinary initiatives are required in a timely fashion. |
Outlook | It is likely the government will implement new measures according to the ever changing environment. The industry corporation with the MHLW will accelerate its policy-making to ensure the country's medical provision. |
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has undertaken several first-time measures to ease drug and medical supply access to disaster-afflicted North-Eastern Japan.
Challenges in Distribution
One of the biggest challenges in the medical sector is pharmaceutical distribution. Because of the double attacks from the earthquake and tsunami which destroyed basic infrastructure in the affected region, the MHLW needs to ensure the timely medical supplies by implementing extrajudicial measurements. For example, on Saturday (19 March) the MHLW set an emergency policy to allow passing customs without official import documentation to accelerate relief supplies to be distributed to disaster-hit areas. In common practice, any medicinal products from abroad require submission of an importing report to the local health bureau. Under the new procedure only post reporting has been requested to ease the burden for medicine distribution. Meanwhile, for drugs that have entered and been stocked in the country, the regulator issued an emblem to appropriate distributors which are entitled to a fuel limit exemption. Such an exemption is critical for medical access in the disaster-affected areas, given the shortage of gasoline.
Furthermore Minister of Health, Ritsuo Hosokawa, commented that the MHLW is in discussion to use self-defence forces' helicopters to reach isolated areas where access is heavily restricted. Previously even in an emergency, ground routes had been the priority due to the technical requirements such as temperature control and fragile packages, yet some evacuation centres and operating medical institutes in the affected region are being run out of stocks and al methods are under consideration.
The MHLW has also announced that sharing medical products between hospitals would not violate legal procedures. This measure is likely to see enhanced support from medical institutes especially from the west side of the country where emergency stock is still available.
Access to Medical Practice
The regulator has released emergency guidelines to increase healthcare access for patients who have suffered from the natural disasters. Patients without medical insurance cards can receive medical consultation nationwide, by providing basic personal information, because many prefectures are accepting earthquake and tsunami victims to accommodate their temporary residence. Some severe patients who require special care such as cancer treatment or dialysis have been transferred to the unaffected part of the country, thus ensuring continued treatment. This provision is very important because the nation is currently under rolling blackouts to reduce energy consumption to avoid complete blackouts in the Kanto area. It is also important to note that even though medical organisations are providing temporary batteries, this is likely to be insufficient to supply all small-size clinics.
Outlook and Implications
The Japanese government has been working relentlessly and efficiently to overcome the multiple crises the country is facing, and the aforementioned provisions exemplify this. The medical sector is one of the critical areas where urgent action is required, hence it is important to keep pace with incidents in the field and respond quickly according to demand. Last week, considering the possible outbreak of influenza in evacuation centres, the MHLW decided to release Chugai (Japan)’s Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and GlaxoSmithKline (UK)’s Relenza (zanamivir) to step into its prevention, even though it is only agreed in the case of pandemics. Tamiflu to treat approximately 22 million patients and Relenza for 5.1 million patients are being distributed mainly to the affected areas but will be also available in other parts of the country to reduce occurrence. So far the pharmaceutical industry has been a key ally, with both companies Chugai and GSK co-operating with the government decision; GSK has even announced it will replenish the stock for free, which is very important for the government, having support from the industry to make decisions.