| Some Americans in Japan avoid going to a doctor | | | | discourage doctors from over prescribing |
| if they have a cold. Japanese eyes may grow | | | | medicines, resulting in a pharmacy next to or |
| larger as they remark on this to other Japanese | | | | across the street from many doctor's offices. |
| and ask other Americans why not. My reply, that | | | | Each small pharmacy, primarily serving the |
| you need seven days to get well if you take cold | | | | patients of the doctor next door or across the |
| medicine and a week if you do not, meets with | | | | street, usually has between two and four people |
| blank looks. | | | | working in the pharmacy at any one time. |
| | | | | |
| When I first started going to the doctor's in | | | | Japanese, like Americans and other Westerners, |
| Japan, visiting a doctor and getting medicine for a | | | | believe in hand washing to prevent colds, but |
| cold was substantially cheaper than going to a | | | | there are at least four major differences: masks, |
| pharmacy and buying over the counter cold | | | | gargling, carrying on to show their fighting spirit |
| medicine that was much weaker. You would see | | | | and not burdening others, and IV (intravenous) |
| your doctor and the receptionists, who also may | | | | cocktails. In Japan, people frequently wear surgical |
| act as nurses, would give you your medicine. | | | | masks due to colds. Some of them are wearing |
| After some years, due to a government push to | | | | masks to protect themselves against the germs |
| reduce medicine sales by having medications | | | | that give them colds, while others have colds and |
| purchased at pharmacies, not from doctor's | | | | are wearing masks so they don't give their colds |
| offices, pharmacies sprang up like mushrooms | | | | to others. Unrelated to colds, many people with |
| next to doctor's offices. Prices seemed to me to | | | | allergies wear masks to protect themselves from |
| have increased. Now, going to a pharmacy and | | | | allergens. The masks may or may not be |
| buying cold medicine could be cheaper, but people | | | | effective and the placebo effect may or may not |
| are accustomed to going to the doctor. | | | | work. Regardless, a Hello Kitty surgical mask on a |
| | | | | small child is a sight that one will remember for a |
| Some doctors offer appointments but many do | | | | long time. |
| not. Being able to stop at the doctor's whenever | | | | |
| you want is tremendously convenient, but | | | | Japanese also swear by gargling to prevent colds |
| spending three hours for a three-minute visit with | | | | and to get better quickly when you do have a |
| the doctor is not. Timing your visit is important. | | | | cold. Some doctors argue that gargling with water |
| Many larger hospitals with specialists attract an | | | | is useless, but gargling with green tea protects |
| older crowd. Go in the morning, with or without an | | | | people from colds. Whenever anything is health |
| appointment, and the wait can be endless. Go in | | | | related, the green tea lobby is always nearby to |
| the afternoon, with or without an appointment | | | | promote the real or imaginary health benefits. |
| and you can see a specialist, pay, get your | | | | People in Japan who have colds are not entitled to |
| prescription, pick up your medication at the | | | | time off. They must go to work or school, |
| pharmacy in the same building, and be on your | | | | carrying on to show their fighting spirit and not |
| way in an hour if all goes well. | | | | burdening others. |
| | | | | |
| At smaller doctor's offices, especially those that | | | | Nobody discourages sick people from going to |
| see many children, the mornings can be very | | | | work or school and little attention is paid to the |
| busy, but when there are no colds going around | | | | colds they spread. With chicken pox or measles, |
| the offices can be empty. If you go in on a busy | | | | of course, people do stay home. Schools actually |
| morning, you may have a long wait. Doctor's | | | | keep track of the number of days students miss; |
| offices are usually open in the morning, close for | | | | students who are not absent for an entire year |
| lunch, and then open again in the early afternoon. | | | | are commended. Some students even go to |
| If you go in the morning and the doctor's office is | | | | junior high for three years without missing a single |
| crowded, you can often write your name down | | | | day and receive an award. Some of the students |
| for the afternoon slot and be seen quickly if you | | | | who go to school with raging fevers may be |
| arrive first thing in the afternoon. Another way to | | | | after such awards. |
| be seen quickly is to go early in the morning | | | | |
| before the doctor opens, go in the office, and | | | | The last of the four major differences I will |
| write your name on the list. Yes, the office is | | | | discuss here is the IV cocktail, full of all sorts of |
| open even though nobody is there. Know the | | | | nutrients and other wonderful things, guaranteed |
| system and act to avoid waiting for hours and | | | | to speed your recovery. Catch a cold, see the |
| hours. | | | | doctor, and get an IV. That will get you through |
| | | | | the day. Some doctors don't always offers IVs to |
| Over the years the number of pharmacies selling | | | | people with colds, but if you really want one, just |
| prescription medicine has ballooned. The | | | | ask the doctor. The doctor will usually oblige. |
| government has encouraged this direction to | | | | |