薬のネット販売 安全確保するルール作り急務

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jan. 15, 2013)
Rules needed urgently on online sales of safe drugs
薬のネット販売　安全確保するルール作り急務（1月14日付・読売社説）

The Supreme Court's recent ruling will essentially lift the ban on drugs sold through the Internet without a doctor's prescription.
　医師の処方なしで買える市販薬のインターネット販売を事実上、解禁する司法判断である。

Online retailers had demanded that the government acknowledge their right to sell nonprescription drugs, arguing that the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's ordinance banning the sale of such drugs with a relatively high risk of side effects was illegal.
　市販薬のうち、副作用の危険が比較的高い医薬品のネット販売を禁じた厚生労働省令は違法だとして、通販会社がネット販売できる権利の確認などを国に求めていた。

The top court last week rejected an appeal filed by the state against the Tokyo High Court decision that upheld the claims of two online retailers.
　最高裁は国の上告を棄却する業者側勝訴の判決を言い渡した。

Under the revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law that came into effect in 2009, the health ministry classified nonprescription drugs into three categories based on possible side effects. The ministry's ordinance made it mandatory for pharmacists to sell some digestive medicines, hair growth agents and other products over the counter, while banning their online sales.
　厚労省は２００９年の改正薬事法で市販薬を３分類した。このうち、一部の胃腸薬や発毛剤などの医薬品については、省令で薬剤師らによる対面販売を義務付け、ネット販売を禁じている。

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Deregulation upheld

Arguing that the revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law indicates no clear intention to make over-the-counter sales mandatory, the top court ruled that "the ordinance is illegal and invalid." The ruling, it may be said, criticized the ministry's action to regulate online sales without any legal basis.
　判決は「改正薬事法からは対面販売を義務付ける趣旨は明確に読み取れず、省令は違法で無効」と結論付けた。法的な裏付けがないまま、省令でネット販売を規制した措置を批判したと言えよう。

The two retailers that won their case have resumed online sales. The online sales market is expected to further expand with the participation of other such retailers.
　勝訴した業者はネット販売を再開した。他の通販各社も参入し、市場拡大が見込まれる。

Health minister Norihisa Tamura expressed his intention to establish a panel that will study measures to relax control on online sales. The ministry plans to put forth a new policy before the end of this year, but rules on online sales must be worked out as soon as possible.
　田村厚労相は、ネット販売の規制緩和に関する検討会を設置する意向を表明した。年内にも方針を打ち出す考えだが、販売ルール作りは急務である。

An advantage of the online sale of nonprescription drugs is that such drugs can be obtained by people living on remote islands and in mountain areas that do not have pharmacies or drugstores. It would also be benefit the disabled or the elderly, whose mobility is limited.
　市販薬のネット販売の利点は、薬局や薬店がない離島や山間部でも市販薬を入手できることだ。移動手段が限られる障害者や高齢者には便利だろう。

If the online sale of nonprescription drugs becomes common, it will reduce the burden on people working on the front lines of medicine. There are many cases in which people have been rushed to emergency hospitals for treatment of light colds. This has overtaxed doctors at such hospitals.
　ネット販売が普及すれば、医療現場の負担を軽減する効果も期待できる。軽い風邪でも救急病院に駆け込むケースが多く、医師を疲弊させているからだ。

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Lack of consistency

While stressing the need for self-medication to treat nonserious conditions at home, the ministry bans the online sale of nonprescription drugs. This obviously represents a lack of consistency in its policy stance.
　厚労省は、軽症なら自分で薬を買って養生する「セルフメディケーション」の必要性を訴えていたのに、一方でネット販売の禁止は明らかに一貫性を欠く。

It must be remembered, however, that the top court did not give a stamp of approval to the safety of nonprescription drugs sold online.
　ただ、最高裁がネット販売の安全性にお墨付きを与えたわけではないことを忘れてはならない。

Side effects of some nonprescription drugs have been reported to the health ministry. There have also been deaths reported, although the number is small.
　市販薬でも、厚労省に副作用が報告されており、数は少ないながら死亡例もある。

So it is all the more important to formulate rules on online sales while considering how to achieve a balance between convenience in buying drugs and drug safety.
　それだけに重要なのは、薬を購入しやすい利便性と、薬の安全性をどう両立させ、ネット販売ルールを策定するかだ。

The symptoms and conditions of drug buyers cannot be confirmed online. The online drug retailing industry is studying a method in which drugs cannot be purchased unless retailers' explanations on proper use and information about side effects are verified.
　ネットでは薬を買う人の顔色や症状などを確認できない。販売業者が適正な薬の使い方や副作用情報を丁寧に説明し、その内容を確認しなければ購入できない案を検討する動きも業界などにある。

It is also essential to work out measures to deal with bulk purchases and illegal retailers that do not employ pharmacists.
　大量購入する場合の対処法や、薬剤師を配置していない違法業者対策なども課題だ。

To realize a convenient and safe online system of drug sales, the private and public sectors should rack their brains together.
便利で安全なネット販売を実現するため、官民で知恵を絞ってもらいたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 14, 2013)
（2013年1月14日01時27分  読売新聞）