Japan discards state-acquired COVID-19 drugs worth 240 billion yen

The government discarded COVID-19 oral medicines believed to be worth around 240 billion yen ($1.6 billion) in the fiscal year through March as they had passed their expiry dates, health ministry officials said Wednesday.While the exact purchase price remains unclear, the value was calculated in accordance with current prices. The amount is enough to treat some 2.5 million people.The government acquired the oral drugs at the height of the coronavirus pandemic and provided them free of charge to hospitals and clinics nationwide.But many of them were unused after COVID-19 was downgraded to th…READ FULL ARTICLE