Trusting that our dear colleagues both at home and abroad as well as all the parties and persons concerned greeted the first morning of the new year in good health and condition, I have, as is quite customary with us, the pleasure of extending my New Year g reetings, by way of firstly retrospecting on the last year and secondly sharing with all of you the plans JSMI harbours for implementation this year.

1: Activities undertaken nationally for promotion of responsible self-medication

On September 29, JSMI Website (in the Japanese language, for the time being) was completely renewed by adding anew "Medicines Retrieval Function". This Retrieval Function, instrumented in collaboration with Nonpre scription Medicines Database Center, enables consumers to retrieve approximately 3,500 items of nonprescription medicines from products' names, therapeutic categories, manufacturers' names, and symptoms. Further, it allows consumers to read a package insert of each drug item.

Addition of more data and public relations to raise consumers' awareness towards this renewed cyberspace gateway to nonprescription medicines which need to be properly used for responsible self-medication are the two areas planned for immediate imple-mentation.

The momentum, encouragingly generated at the WSMI 14th General Assembly and 5th Asia Pacific Regional Conference hosted by JSMI in November 2002, for striking root of responsible self-medication deep into the consciousness of consumers has never faltered over the period since these international events.

On the contrary, JSMI made every effort to increase the number of Health Forum, in addition to the Asahi Shimbun Health Forum held twice a year, spring and autumn, by newly co-hosting with the Yomiuri Shimbun dailies the First Yomiuri Self-Medication Symposium in autumn, focusing on "Obesity". All the participants had their "Degree of Obesity" (A Body Mass Index or BMI which is a formula in which a person's body weight in kilograms is divided by the square of his or her height in meters) measured to alert themselves to the potential danger of overweight or obesity.

The Symposium designed to allow the participants to gain their knowledge by "actual experience" was well accepted as compared to the conventional lecture-type symposia where participants tend to passively listen to lectures or talks which flow very much like one-way traffic.

This year's plan calls for co-hosting four events with both the Asahi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun dailies.

2: Activities to be undertaken internationally for promotion of responsible self-medication

Our colleagues in the People's Republic of China, Chinese Self-Medication Industry (CSMI), at the very juncture when their name was changed from China Nonprescription Medicines Association (CNMA) to CSMI, volunteered ~ needless to mention, was warmly and unanimously endorsed by the WSMI Member Associations ~ to host the WSMI 6th Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Beijing from October 26 through 29 this year.

Although China is not separated from Japan by a narrow streak of water, much of what is today considered traditional in Japanese culture, arts and crafts was inherited from China, defying the geographical tyranny of distance. The corollary to this is that Chinese and Japanese cultures have a great deal in common.

Now, CSMI's First Announcement with a highly challenging title, "From the Past to the Future: Public Health, Regulatory and Industrial Opportunities on Responsible Self-Medication" has introduced Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing ~ which is unquestionably a most prestigious garden-villa complex flavoured with the timehonoured wisdom and, at the same time, equipped with advanced ideas and facilities ~ as the conference venue.

To reciprocate the then CNMA's great support extended to the WSMI international events in 2002, we are committed to developing the contribution that JSMI can make to CSMI. I would hereby encourage the JSMI member manufacturers to send their delegates as many as possible to China which is firmly positioned as the world's fastest-growing major economy and has become an increasingly important source of demand for exports from Asia and the rest of the world.

3 : Suggestions and recommendations to "Interim Report" from the industry

In November 2002, "Expert Consultation for Streamlining Procedures to Approve and Examine OTC Medicines" (an advisory task force for the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) publicized "Interim Report on Role of Over- The -Counter (OTC) Medicines to be needed, trusted and used with confidence" (commonly termed "Interim Report").

Of the major thirteen steps for improvement proposed in the "Interim Report", the OTC drug industry delightfully observed its suggestions and recommendations were reflected into the revision to reduce the number of class of nonprescription medicines from six to four at filing an application for registration. This revision should be considered as a great improvement as it considerably alleviates the burden of an applicant when preparing an application dossier.

The industry is fully committed to continuing to make further suggestions and recommendations both to expedite Rx-to-OTC switches and to enlarge the scope of nonprescription medicines so that they can manage prophylaxis of lifestyle related diseases.

4:Nonprescription Medicines Retailing Deregulation

Recent movements of OTC medicines retailing deregulation (part of which were featured in JSMI Newsletters Nos. 56 and 57) were: "Working Group" of "Task Force on the selection of medicines presenting no major safety issues" (Chaired by Hiroshi Saito, Professor Emeritus, Tokyo University) selected approximately 350 items of nonprescription medicines in the 15 categories such as, among others, Digestives, Intestinal regulators, etc. as OTC medicines that "present no safety concerns".

It is very likely that those items will be sold outside of pharmacies, drugstores and other conventionally authorized retail outlets, providing more convenience in terms of visibility, accessibility and availability of medicines to the consumers.

Under the legal framework of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, it is mandatory that all the medicines are sold "face-to-face", in other words, retailers are obliged to have licensed pharmacists physically present.

H o w e v e r, rapidly increasing emergence of "e-commerce" (sales of medicines via the Internet) and sales of medicines via "Videophone" (a totally unprecedented retailing practice where a discount retailer sells drugs at midnight and in the early morning while using videophones linking its outlets to pharmacists) has begun presenting a serious issue for the industry as well as the competent authorities to tackle as promptly as practical.

Such phenomena, depending on how they develop, could inevitably affect the way the drug information is provided at time of purchase and sale of OTC drugs.

However drastically the social and economical environment may change, the necessity to educate and enlighten consumers on the importance of "To manage your own health by yourself" or Responsible Self-Medication shall remain unchanged.

JSMI is fully committed to ensuring the continued growth of the OTC drug industry through promoting responsible self-medication. Taking up this occasion, on behalf of the management and staffs at JSMI, I would like to make a fresh determination that we work closely with all of you in 2004.

On January 9 when the JSMI 137th Board of Directors Meeting was held in Tokyo, JSMI extended its very warm welcome to Mr. Albert Yeung, Senior Advisor to China Self-Medication Industry (CSMI).

As was partly covered in the JSMI Chairman's New Year Greetings, CSMI will be hosting the WSMI 6th Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Beijing from October 26 through 29 this year.

Considering the Board of Directors Meeting as a golden opportunity for Mr. Yeung to make his personal appearance to encourage the JSMI member companies to attend the Conference, JSMI gladly managed to find a slot for him to make a brief presentation immediately after the Board Meeting adjourned.

There is a worldwide trend for people to take greater charge of their own health. The Wo r l d Health Organization (WHO) clearly stated this was a most desirable trend in the Alma-Ata Declaration in 1978 which endorsed the goal of health for all by the year 2000, with primary health care being the key to attaining it.

Professor Zhang He-Yong, President, CSMI remarked in his greetings in the CSMI First Announcement as follows:

"People everywhere are becoming more aware of the importance of health, and the opportunity they have for self-care. Many factors - social, economic and political - are encouraging people to take more responsibility for their own healthcare, and in this self-medication has an important place. Government interest and regulatory development in self-medication are therefore high on the agenda in many countries.

"China is no exception to the global trend, and has made rapid strides in medicines classification and regulation in recent years.

"Increasingly, the world is looking at China with interest and confidence, as China opens a new chapter in its rich history. The Chinese Self-Medication Industry (CSMI) association is therefore proud to host the WSMI 6th Asia Pacific Regional Conference, between October 26th - 29th 2004, in Beijing, China.

"The rich conference programme will commence with an overview of health policy in China, and the role of self-medication. This will be followed by a review of the social, market and regulatory situation in China, providing an overview of the very latest developments for overseas delegates".

In line with the CSMI President's greetings, Mr. Yeung, in his presentation, put emphasis on the fact that a full support of the Chinese competent authorities has been extended to, among others, the unique availability of Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Beijing, as the lodging accommodations as well as the Conference venue.

Needless to explain, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse is by far the prestigious and most ideal place, where the six-way talks were held last year, therefore, Mr. Yeung, in anticipation of a great demand for the rooms, strongly recommended that reservations be made as soon as practical.

In response to the great zeal shown not only by CSMI but also by Mr. Yeung, who, JSMI firmly believed, achieved a great deal as a Public Relations Ambassador entrusted by CSMI, the JSMI Secretariat circulated to its member manufacturers "REGISTRATION FORM" and "APPLICATION FORM FOR HOTEL ACCOMMODATION and TOURS" attached to the CSMI First Announcement, encouraging them to participate in the Conference in the hope that a larger attendance would lead to a more remarkable success of the Conference.