Japan is one of the top countries in the world in terms of medical care.
A perfect point about the Japanese medical system is that you will pay less out of pocket if you go to a hospital or clinic.
Anyone who pays health insurance premiums in Japan can receive medical care regardless of nationality.
Sometimes it is cheaper to buy medicine prescribed by a medical institution than to buy over-the-counter medicines online or at a pharmacy.
However, going to a hospital is quite a hurdle for foreigners who put up with over-the-counter medicines.
This time, I introduce how to consult a general medical institution and how to get medicine at a pharmacy.
Steps to going to a doctor
Research a hospital or clinic near your locations

Hospitals and clinics have specialties, so it’s best to look up nearby them on google maps.
If you are not good at Japanese, avoid medical institutions that require telephone appointments.
Please note that a university hospital will require a special fee without a referral from a small or medium-sized hospital or clinic.
Seek and Receive treatment at a hospital or clinic
Most hospitals and clinics can be visited without an appointment.
However, you must fill out a medical questionnaire when you visit a hospital/clinic for the first time.
Let’s write the following in Japanese and tell the receptionist what kind of symptoms you have using Google Translate.
★Call the hotline or your local public health center before visiting a medical institution when you may be infected with the new coronavirus (COVID-19).

Also, bring your health insurance card with you for your first or first visit of the month.
You will be responsible for all medical expenses if you do not present your health insurance card.
Accounting and getting a prescription
After the treatment is over, you will pay at the reception.
There are still few hospitals and clinics that accept credit cards in Japan.
Therefore, please bring enough cash, especially for your first visit.
After paying, you will receive a receipt and a prescription, so please do not throw them away.
What is a prescription?
A prescription “Shoho sen” is a voucher for picking up medicine at the pharmacy.
Most hospitals and clinics don’t give drugs directly to patients.
If you want medicine prescribed by a doctor, you need to visit a hospital or clinic to get a prescription.
Also, the prescription is valid for 4 days, so get it early.
Submit your prescription at the pharmacy
Take the prescription you received from the hospital/clinic to the pharmacy.
Take your insurance card with you to the pharmacy.
When you bring your prescription to the pharmacy for the first time, you may be asked to fill out a medical questionnaire in the same way as the hospital/clinic.
Accounting and Receiving medicines
You check out at the pharmacy and receive the medicines.
The number of pharmacies where credit cards can be available has increased.
How to use the medical system at a discount?
Getting a hospital/clinic 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM on weekdays!
Going to the same hospital/clinic

When you go to a hospital/clinic for the first time, it is always added an initial consultation fee of around 1,000 yen as your own expense.
I recommend you to go to the same hospital/clinic as much as possible if you find a good hospital/clinic.
However, if you do not regularly visit for other symptoms, it will be treated as a first visit fee may be added.
By the way, if you visit the dentist again within 3-months, the first visit fee will not be charged.
Getting medicines with a prescription from the same pharmacy within 3 months
When you go to a hospital/clinic for the first time, it always contains an initial consultation fee.
Pharmacies are too.
It will not be added an initial consultation fee with a medicine notebook “okusuri techo” when you bring the medicine prescribed at the same pharmacy within 3 months.
What is a medicine notebook?
Doctors and pharmacists check the history of drug interactions and medications with it.
It’s Free at pharmacies and it saves you money.
There are smartphone apps, but unfortunately, most of them are only available in Japanese.
For foreigners who are not good at Japanese, we recommend the paper medicine notebook you can get at the pharmacy.
Request for Generic medicines
Generic medicines are off-patent drugs.

Don’t worry! It’s not expired.
It has the same ingredients and efficacy as the new medicines, but the difference is the price.
Most generic medicines are less than 30 – 70% of the price of brand new them.
Depending on the medicine, only new ones have been developed.
When you receive your health insurance card, there is a sticker that says “Prefer generic drugs“.
Therefore, please put it on your insurance card or medicine notebook.
Finally
How was it?
The medical system in Japan is complicated to understand,
but you can receive medical care at a low cost safely, so be sure to use insurance!