Japan's National Consumer Affairs Center issued an alert on June 23, 2026 about recurring-payment problems in telehealth consultations for acne, AGA, and weight loss. The documented cases are specific: a patient locked into a roughly 60,000 yen one-year acne medication supply who was denied cancellation after processing, a GLP-1 patient hit with unwanted recurring charges after adverse effects, and an AGA patient auto-shipped a year of refills without any physician reassessment. The regulator also notes that GLP-1 drugs are not approved for cosmetic weight loss.

The guidance is to confirm the medication, side effects, contract terms, and cancellation rules before the consultation, not after. For any clinic running telemedicine or a membership and auto-ship program, this is a clear signal that subscription models bundled with online consults are under scrutiny on informed consent and cancellation transparency. If your refill program ships a year of product without a check-in, or your cancellation terms are hard to find, that is the part worth fixing before it becomes a complaint.

Source: Hifuko News (ヒフコNEWS) — https://biyouhifuko.com/news/japan/18409/