The Problem and Situation of Anti-Malarial Drug in Japan

Abstract

Despite several dozens of reports on the importation of malaria every year, it is one of the hardest jobs to obtain anti-malarial drugs in present day Japan, especially in small rural hospitals other than the organization of tropical diseases specialty. This seems to be due to discontinuation of the drug production by the pharmaceutical manufactures because of too scarce demand to make the business profitable, on the one hand, and due to the suit raised in the past by the patients of Chloroquine-retinopathy which, it was claimed, had been caused by excessive doses of the said drug for another disease, on the other. Since the Ministry of Welfare permits use of the drug if it is for malaria, it is hoped that its production be promorted by the Ministry under proper guidance and administration. As a matter of fact, we have cured three cases of malaria patients in 1974 through 1976, with great toils and labour for the acquisition of the drug, indeed. At the moment, one of the private organization is hurrying to map out the institutes of malarial specialty in Japan, for the convenience of patients. And whenever necessary, we save the urgent situation by managing what little stock of the drugs that we have purchased in the foreign countries.