Hello my friends,
I have learned that Japan has strict control over "drug importation". I have a licit prescription for Nitrazepam (a benzo, like Valium). I use it for panic attacks. I can also substitute it with any other long-acting benzo that is acceptable in japan upon a request from a doctor, so the actual chemical is not an issue. The restriction of a month's supply is fine by me.
My problem is that, when checking out the info in medications, I found that they restrict "narcotics and psychotropics"... well, benzo are psychotropic. Would a letter from the doctor suffice? Are they very anal about the medication names?
I'm just seeking advice from anyone who has been to Tokyo (Narita) and knows what kind of formalities I have to show for a licit prescription of a drug that CAN be misinterpreted as illicit?
Thanks!
Hello!
I'm not sure that I can give you useful advice.
But if you need information about bringing medication into Japan, you had better to contact Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Have you ever checked this site?
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/import/index.html
just be sure that your meds are in a bottle with a prescription and that you have a separate prescription from your doctor to show. You are bringing in only a personal supply and should not have to declare or show unless requested.
Ruth
I agree with Ruth, if you have your prescription, there is nothing to worry about. I think they are more concerned about illegal psychotropic drugs than doctor prescribed stuff and a wide variety af tranquilizers are available from Japanese doctors.
Thank a LOT for the response, everyone :)
that was a panic attack in and of itself. haha.
So I will go see my doctor and ask for a copy of his Rx. Of course, I always keep meds in their labled bottles.
Since I am staying for a while, may I ask how difficult it is to get tranquilizers rxed in Japan? Can I just show them what my doctor rxed me and get a duplicate?
I ask because my experience in the narcophobic mid-east was horrendous. Doctors would prescribe valium to old ladies they have known all their lives on a whim, but not to a young guy who is obviously in distresss...
You may find it extremely difficult to get these prescriptions refilled in Asia as well.
It is not simply that doctors are "narcophobic" as you call it. Most doctors are concerned about writing prescriptions for controlled substances for people with whom they have no relationship. This is true in the US, in the Middle East and in Asia. It is simply a concern that there are some people who doctor shop and who display drug seeking behavior. You may be really in distress, but then again there are lots of good actors out there who are also "obviously in distress".
As a physician I am very unlikely to prescribe benzodiazepines to a patient on the first visit even if they appear with a bottle from their previous doctor but especially if I have no way to contact their doctor to insure that they weren't just doctor shopping for another script for a controlled substance.
Perhaps we doctors are a suspicious lot, but none of us would like to lose our license for writing inappropriate scripts for controlled substances.
Are you going to be traveling for a long time? If so, see if your family can arrange to refill your prescription and mail it to you someone along the way. If you are going to be settled in a place for a while, then upon arrival make an appointment to see a local doctor and establish a relationship so that this person is willing to write local prescriptions. It might be a good idea to carry a letter from your current doctor outlining your treatment plan.
Ruth
One more point, you asked if simply showing your current doctor's prescription will be enough. Personally, no. I rarely simply rewrite someone's prescription for a controlled substance. I ask to look at the bottle and see what number of pills were used in what period of time. I may offer a small quantity and suggest making a follow up appointment to see the frequency of use. I may suggest other treatments that might better control the symptoms. As a doctor I prefer to make my own decisions and not to simply rewrite someone else prescription. After all, I am responsible for the prescriptions that I write.
OTOH I can't say that all my colleagues are necessarily quite so conscientious. I am sure for a fee you can find someone somewhere who will write you what you want.
Ruth
Ruth,
Thanks a lot for your help here and elsewhere (I've found your posts in general very, very helpful :)). I am familiar with doctors like you, who are obviously concerned for their patient's wellbeing and for "doctor shoppers". The very fact that you post helpful info on the net means that you have good intensions.
Unfortunately, many doctors especially in the mid-east (where I was born) seem to have an authority complex.
In any case, the two doctors that saw me here (Canada) agreed that benzos are the best treatment for me next to nothing when it comes to sudden, heart-wretching panic attacks. I have a low-dose dependency on said medications that I probably can (and hope to) kick with the proper conditions. I am just wondering how sympathetic would doctors in Japan be on this issue.
If you are open to discussing the technicalities of the issue, I'd be more than happy to talk to you via PM or email :)
Thank you very much again!
My email address is in my profile.
In general patients with panic disorder are best treated preventively with an antidepressant, usually an SSRI in combination with CBT. The problem is that once you become dependent upon benzodiazepines it is much more difficult to treat the panic disorder because tapering the benzos often causes panicky feelings.
Ruth (and yes, I am a psychiatrist)
trusted partner
