日米で食薬区分の異なるメラトニンのインターネットを介した個人輸入における安全性情報の比較
Comparative Study of the Safety Information in the Private Import through the Internet of the Melatonin from which a Classification between Drugs and Food Differs in Japan and the United States

Kuniko Otsuka, Yasuyuki Nomura, Naoki Uchida, Hajime Yasuhara, Shinichi Kobayashi
2014 Japanese Journal of Social Pharmacy  
Classification of food and pharmaceutical products are different. In the proper use of pharmaceutical products, it is essential for a medical consumer to receive the drug information about effectiveness, safety and quality of it. On the other hand, since legal classification between medicines and dietary supplements was based theircultures,theclassificationofeachdrugisdifferentineachcountry.Melatoninisahormoneproducedbythe
more » ... ormationofJapanandthe United States by using Internet search mainly and investigated the relationship between amount of product information and product classification. Melatonin is classified as a dietary supplement in the United States, the productinformationofefficacyandsafetyisdisplayedas"SupplementFacts"andtheuseofmelatonininchildren is not recommended. On the other hand, melatonin is classified as a pharmaceutical product in Japan, but is not produced in Japan. Therefore, it is difficult to have it for Japanese customers, and then they personally import using the Internet with their self-responsibility. However it is difficult to obtain its appropriate information for consumers,becauseoftheregulationofthePharmaceuticalAffairsLaw.Ithasbeenreportedthatthepoisoning accidentbytheexcessiveintakeofmelatoninalready.Itwillincreasetheriskofthehealthproblemtopurchase melatoninthroughtheInternetmore.Therefore,weconcludedthatInternetpurchaseofMedicineshadahighrisk forJapanesecustomerssincetherewasnotsufficientdruginformation.
doi:10.14925/33.21 fatcat:fqf7tifeq5brnbbzk2ajdd5sta