Toyota Motor Julie hump Managing Officer (55) June 18, for suspicion of drug Control Law violations, was arrested in Tokyo hotel was staying. In international courier parcel from the contents have been described as the "necklace" the United States, included in the hide is "oxycodone" tablet 57 tablets of the drug component, because the smuggling of suspicion is not. Hump suspect, has denied the charges as "I do not think it has to import the drug." Currently the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the details, but the July 1, Toyota Motor Corporation has announced the resignation of hump suspect.
The news, in the United States but has been reported by many of the media, I feel the temperature difference in the reaction of the US and Japan. As a result of discussion, such as the acquaintance of American doctors immediately after arrest, have questions and opinions, such as the following were thrown.
"Waist or somewhere, than there is pain in the body?"
"But, usually 57 tablets also will not be prescribed at a time?"
"I'm sure you might have asked to send a lot from living abroad."
"I can not believe because people with her about the career did not know the Japanese rules"
"Although suspicion is clear if proven prescription, why do not you prove?"
"First of all No oxycodone not get formulated in Japan?"
"It looks quite different like regulations of Japan and the United States of oxycodone"
That is right. In fact certainly, is between Japan and the United States is there a big difference in the current situation for the "pain (pain) management".
Japan management of oxycodone is strict
US both in recent years day, illness or injury, pain relief and care by medical practice, such as surgery has become increasingly important. However, regulation of analgesics in both countries is very different. Oxycodone became this problem has been classified as medical drugs called opioid analgesics. The medical drug, it is narcotics use is permitted only in medical. Opioid analgesic, oxycodone, morphine, codeine, etc. have been used frequently in the clinical, brain, it binds to opioid receptors in the spinal cord and peripheral nerves and relieve pain.
In Japan, analgesics such as oxycodone You can doctors prescribe, but are strictly controlled. Subject to the disease to prescribe is mainly cancerous pain.
The prescribing physician oxycodone is not must keep in Sign up for each prefecture, to be one by one record and manage the usage has been obligated.There is no be formulated in a general clinic. Therefore, everyone is not a simple to available drugs.
Is a cooperation center of the World Health Organization (WHO), pain and policy research group of the University of Wisconsin, USA (Pain Policy Study Group: PPSG) is, it is possible to achieve access to the balanced opioid analgesics, Moto-ya Other is a research facility in order to improve the quality of life of people around the world who suffer from the disease painful.
Its PPSG but is investigating the consumption of opioid analgesics in the world, oxycodone average consumption of one year per capita in the year 2012 (mg), of the world 71 countries, Japan is # 32. The world average is 13.5mg, but the average of Japan in 3.6mg, it is consumption very low when compared with other developed countries.
1. United States: 243.8
2. Canada: 140.6
3. Australia: 85.3
4. Denmark: 47.7
Five. Norway: 44.6
6. Sweden: 37.5
7. Germany: 34.0
8. Finland: 31.8
9. Cyprus: 28.6
10. Switzerland: 26.6
32. Japan: 3.6
It is obvious many by far the consumption of the United States.
By the way, for the morphine out of the same opioid analgesics, average per capita annual consumption in the year 2012 (mg), the Japan of the world 158 countries is # 42. The world average in 6.3mg, Japan average of nearly half of 3.2mg. Again it is consumption very low when compared with other developed countries.
1. Austria: 199.2 2. Canada: 100.8 3. Denmark: 81.9 4. America: 78.6 5.Australia: 40.0 6. United Kingdom: 39.2 7. Switzerland: 38.4 8. France: 31.9 9.Iceland: 29.7 10. New Zealand: 28.5 42. Japan: 3.2 This does not mean more is by far also the United States of consumption. In any case, Japan is the use of medical drugs as compared to the developed countries of Europe and the US, is the extremely small. This Conversely, Japan is said to be very late, even as legally and health care system in terms of pain management.
[Http://www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/sites/www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/files/global_oxycodone.pdf]
[Http://www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/sites/www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/files/global_morphine.pdf]
Americans 80% of world consumption
On the other hand, in the United States, opioid analgesics such as oxycodone, from the pain of acute, such as after surgery, until the chronic pain that follows more than three months by various causes, has been widely used. The use according to the instructions of the doctor have been widely recognized as a drug that can manage pain safely and efficiently, and can be formulated in general clinic if doctors. You can relatively easily available than Japan.
In fact I myself, earlier in dental that hospital in Boston, there is that it has been formulated as a pain after the treatment. After oral oxycodone, but severe pain is no longer admirably at all, then, head to the contrary it is too effectiveness strangely also have been dizzy. 1 tablet pain disappeared, but thereafter did not need to be taken, it is the very familiar analgesics in much the United States.
In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (National Institute on Drug Abuse: NIDA) According to the, in too much here in '20 in the United States, has been the use of opioid analgesics, which are prescription from a doctor is increasing rapidly.Number of opioid analgesics were prescribed in one year in the United States is, in 2013 from 7600 times of 1991 was increased to 207 million times. 81% of oxycodone consumer in the world is as has been reported with the Americans.
Also, according to the National Survey of NIDA, Americans 16 million people over 12 years old, I can say that there is experience that the pain was used in the non-medical purposes at least once, such as oxycodone in the past year. This is the percentage that one in 20 people. Moreover, we 70% of people who use other than medical purposes have or bought or got from family and friends. Otherwise the 18% prescription from the doctor, 5% will have become available from the human that does not Ya know drug seller.
By the way, oxycodone that I formulated in dentistry is 12 tablets. Because to me was enough in one tablet, the remaining 11 tablets are left over. American acquaintance he was saying sell in the city in 10-30 US dollars per tablet. Of course, there is no such intention.
Surge even deaths also addiction
However, opioid analgesics, is also a very dangerous drug. Improper usage. You can cause you and severe respiratory depression large doses even only once, it there is also the risk of death in some cases. In 2010, deaths due to excessive intake of opioid analgesic that has been formulated in a doctor is up to 16,651 people per year, it has increased more than three-fold in the past 20 years.
In addition, opioid analgesics, short-term use for medical purposes does not cause addiction, and abuse, has been pointed out can cause physical and psychological dependence.
According to NIDA, it has now, for chronic pain due to cancer and various diseases, suffered about 100 million Americans. In addition, for the elderly and military of injured has increased, the management of chronic pain is truly imminent problem.
However, even without squid abuse to the, it becomes to be used for a long time also opioid analgesics along with the prolonged treatment, Sonaruto also growing dependence of risk. In fact, the development of addiction caused by long-term use is also findings that up to 40 percent of the entire user.
Uncontrolled malicious Clinic
In Japan, there is a medical institution that "pain clinic" that do specialize in the treatment to relieve the pain of all the sites, such as headaches and neuralgia.This specialist issues a report as municipalities that previously described, such as oxycodone if strictly a recording and management will also be formulated.
However, in the US, malicious pain clinic called "Pirumiru (pill mills)" has become a problem. The Pirumiru is the designation of "doctors and clinics to prescribe large amounts of the drug," but because they are not under the supervision of the government, are you prescribe strong analgesics such as improperly be other than medical purposes oxycodone but it's a reality.
By the way, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: According to the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC), for example, the most elderly of populous Florida there are more than 1000 of pain clinic, in a survey of 2010, the United States of practitioner That's right 90 out of the top 100 people buy the amount there were many of oxycodone was Florida practitioners among.
In this way, that is because the oxide configuration is too can also easily available in the United States, while many people are using oxycodone as a medical drug in order to alleviate the pain, abuse, such as heroin, not for medical purposes There are that have been reality. Soredakeni, overdose and abuse, addiction has also been recognized as a serious social problem. With finely crushed tablets in the powder so euphoria like stimulant is obtained when the suction from the nose, in the past there was also Michael Jackson has been reported to have been abused.
However, although there are such bad current situation, the United States is continuing to challenge in terms of the legal and health systems face for people who suffer from chronic pain, it would or not than may be evaluated. And conversely, that the development of such a system has been delayed Japan is well recognized, and I think we should continue to deal with through sufficient discussion.
[Http://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/hhs_prescription_drug_abuse_report_09.2013.pdf]
The attention to Toyota's diversity
Finally another one for, what is more attention in the United States, it is that whether the Toyota future, show what kind of initiatives in response to this incident.
Currently, in the United States, diversity has been very important for the globalization of companies.
According to the US magazine of the automotive industry expert, "Automotive News", three quarters of the sales of Toyota Motor Corporation are those outside of Japan, 80% of employees (338,875 people) are working outside of Japan You.
Emphasis on Toyota of course diversity at the forefront of such a global company, as a result, this year in April, is not hump suspect became the first Managing Officers as a woman. Also on the same day, Christopher Reynolds said of African-Americans also have been appointed Managing Directors. In addition the other day, Mr. Didier Leroy is a native of the French automotive giant Renault, for the first time as a foreigner, was appointed vice president of Toyota Motor Corporation. Just Toyota, did you open the door that diversity in order to win the global competition.
But immediately after that, this time of the incident broke out. And whether really Toyota will continue to open the door in the future, or whether or close to narrowing the door in the wake of the incident -. US industry and the media seems to have lot of attention towards the there rather.
Onishi Mutsuko
internal medicine doctor, the United States Boston resident, MD. 1970, Born in Aichi Prefecture. Tokyo Women's Medical University after graduation, the same blood internal medicine joined. National Cancer Center, at the University of Tokyo Hospital blood-tumor internal medicine and engaged in the clinical study of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. From April 2007 to study in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, he is engaged in basic research on the disease with diet and gene from April 2008 at Harvard University.
