Briging ADD medicine to Japan
Hello everyone!
I'm moving to Japan on June 16th and was wondering if I could bring medication for Attention deficit disorder (Concerta http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylphenidate) with me?
I know all about Yakkan Shoumei but I was just wondering if Methylphenidate was okay or not?
I've read that amphetamines (Adderall for example) are extraordinarily illegal and it would be considered a federal offense if found in my luggage.
I spoke with my pharmacist earlier today and he got me super worried; he said Methylphenidate was a kind of amphetamine too (Can someone confirm that for me?).
Anyone ever brought Concerta or Ritalin to Japan? How did it go?
If I can't bring my prescription of Concerta with me, is there anything similar I could get prescribed there?
Oh and does anybody know the cost of ADD medicine in Japan? Here in Canada It cost me about 80$/month for 18mg Concerta.
Thanks alot!
A friend of mine who lives in Japan has called the Regional bureau of Health and Welfare and this is what they had to say:
3 things you need to know.
1. You have to have an official letter from your doctor explaining
your condition, why you need to take the medication, how many each
time, how many times a day, what type, etc all in detail.
2. You have to have the prescription (copy is OK for this one) for the
medication. The amount you intend on bringing to Japan cannot exceed
the amount prescribed no matter what.
3. The total amount of the meds cannot be over 1.8g under no circumstances.
If the quantity you are bringing is for less than a month, as long as
it is under 1.8g, you just need to show the custom the doctor's
letter and the prescription and you can bring it as carry-on luggage.
If the quantity is for more than a month, what you need to do is to
fill out the form below and mail it along with the original copy of
your doctor's letter AND the prescription.
http://www.melbourne.au.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/pdf/READ%20ME%20FIRST.pdf
This form is get a permission for you to bring in meds into Japan. If
they grant you the permission, they'll send you back the doctor's
note, prescription, and the permission slip and you'll have no problem
bringing the meds to Japan as long as you show the about 3 documents
to the customs.
Keep in mind that whether the amount is for 1 month or 3 months, it
cannot exceed 1.8g.
Another option you have is lets say you have 3 months worth of pills,
but no time to send out for the permission slip. What would happen is
that when you go through the custom and show them the letter and the
prescription, they will let you through with 1 month worth of meds,
and they will hold onto the rest of your meds. You can apply for the
permission once you get to Japan, and once the permission is granted,
they will send you the rest of the meds. If not granted, they will
confiscate it.
What the gentleman at the ministry said was that the custom is getting
extremely strict about bringing meds from another country. However
Japan will most likely have exactly what you need so he suggested that
bring however much you are allowed to bring, and for the rest of the
stay in Japan, have the doctors in Japan prescribe it for you.
I'm moving to Japan on June 16th and was wondering if I could bring medication for Attention deficit disorder (Concerta http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylphenidate) with me?
I know all about Yakkan Shoumei but I was just wondering if Methylphenidate was okay or not?
I've read that amphetamines (Adderall for example) are extraordinarily illegal and it would be considered a federal offense if found in my luggage.
I spoke with my pharmacist earlier today and he got me super worried; he said Methylphenidate was a kind of amphetamine too (Can someone confirm that for me?).
Anyone ever brought Concerta or Ritalin to Japan? How did it go?
If I can't bring my prescription of Concerta with me, is there anything similar I could get prescribed there?
Oh and does anybody know the cost of ADD medicine in Japan? Here in Canada It cost me about 80$/month for 18mg Concerta.
Thanks alot!
A friend of mine who lives in Japan has called the Regional bureau of Health and Welfare and this is what they had to say:
3 things you need to know.
1. You have to have an official letter from your doctor explaining
your condition, why you need to take the medication, how many each
time, how many times a day, what type, etc all in detail.
2. You have to have the prescription (copy is OK for this one) for the
medication. The amount you intend on bringing to Japan cannot exceed
the amount prescribed no matter what.
3. The total amount of the meds cannot be over 1.8g under no circumstances.
If the quantity you are bringing is for less than a month, as long as
it is under 1.8g, you just need to show the custom the doctor's
letter and the prescription and you can bring it as carry-on luggage.
If the quantity is for more than a month, what you need to do is to
fill out the form below and mail it along with the original copy of
your doctor's letter AND the prescription.
http://www.melbourne.au.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/pdf/READ%20ME%20FIRST.pdf
This form is get a permission for you to bring in meds into Japan. If
they grant you the permission, they'll send you back the doctor's
note, prescription, and the permission slip and you'll have no problem
bringing the meds to Japan as long as you show the about 3 documents
to the customs.
Keep in mind that whether the amount is for 1 month or 3 months, it
cannot exceed 1.8g.
Another option you have is lets say you have 3 months worth of pills,
but no time to send out for the permission slip. What would happen is
that when you go through the custom and show them the letter and the
prescription, they will let you through with 1 month worth of meds,
and they will hold onto the rest of your meds. You can apply for the
permission once you get to Japan, and once the permission is granted,
they will send you the rest of the meds. If not granted, they will
confiscate it.
What the gentleman at the ministry said was that the custom is getting
extremely strict about bringing meds from another country. However
Japan will most likely have exactly what you need so he suggested that
bring however much you are allowed to bring, and for the rest of the
stay in Japan, have the doctors in Japan prescribe it for you.