著書

This book provides a comprehensive overview of Japanese health policy and law, written by active public health physicians within the Japanese government and leading researchers in Japan and the United States. This volume uniquely covers the entire essence of how Japan's health policies are formulated and implemented. Key topics include Japan’s governmental and administrative structures, medical and nursing care systems, Universal Health Coverage (UHC), pharmaceutical and medical device regulation, and public health strategies ranging from infectious disease control to cancer prevention, rare disease policy, and maternal and child health, etc. Readers will gain insight into the historical foundations and guiding principles of Japan’s health system, how the country has achieved world‑leading health outcomes, and the policy measures currently underway to meet the challenges of an aging society This book incorporates advice from current undergraduate and graduate students in the United States and Japan, making its content accessible and suitable for use in university education. It also serves as a valuable resource for government officials, policymakers, and professionals in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. As part of a series on global health policy, this volume is an essential addition to collections supporting public health, policy studies, and international health systems.

To ensure appropriate medical care for the public, it is necessary to define the obligations of the “people” who provide medical care and ensure that the “places” where medical care is provided—such as hospitals and clinics—are managed, staffed, and equipped to enable the provision of high-quality and appropriate medical care. “The Medical Practitioners Act” and “the Dental Practitioners Act” govern medical professionals’ status, duties, rights, and obligations; “the Medical Care Act“regulates matters related to medical facilities. While the Medical Practitioners Act respects Medical Practitioners’ freedom in the content of their medical practice to the greatest extent possible (see Chap. 3), the Medical Care Act imposes strict regulations on establishing and managing medical facilities, the standards for medical facilities, and matters related to advertising, medical safety, and prefectural medical care plans.

Chapter 3 introduced the legal definitions and concepts of medical professions. This chapter presents the legal obligations imposed on medical practitioners by the Medical Practitioners Act. Dentists, pharmacists, nurses, and others also have legal obligations corresponding to their respective professional functions under their own acts. No medical practitioner who engages in medical practice may refuse any request for medical examination or treatment without legitimate grounds. As mentioned earlier, medical practitioners are of high public interest. They are tasked with “contributing to the improvement and promotion of public health through medical care and health guidance, thereby ensuring the healthy lives of the people.

In Japan, a Medical Doctor (M.D.) is referred to as a “Medical practitioner” in medical law. The Medical Practitioners Act was enacted three years after the promulgation of the Constitution of Japan. According to Article 1, “Medical practitioners shall contribute to the improvement and promotion of public health by providing medical care and health guidance, thereby ensuring the healthy lives of the people.”. As can be seen from using the phrase “improvement and promotion of public health” in Article 25 of the Constitution (see Chap. 2), medical practitioners are expected to approach their duties with a mindset that respects human life and dignity. They are expected to treat illnesses and injuries and take the lead in improving and promoting public health in all fields. Medical practitioners must be professionals in both clinical medicine and public health.