Partnership for a Disaster-Resilient Society
Conclusion of Agreement Between Alfresa Healthcare Corporation and Haleon Japan K.K. Regarding Cooperation During Disasters

In Japan, natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and heavy rainfall occur frequently. In September 2025, the government announced that, as of January 1, 2025, the probability of a major Nankai Trough earthquake occurring within the next 30 years was estimated to be “between 60% and 90%”^*1. Given this high probability, it is essential to establish disaster response systems during normal times to ensure effective support for affected areas when a disaster occurs.

In June 2025, Alfresa Healthcare Corporation concluded a disaster cooperation agreement with Haleon Japan K.K. The agreement aims to promptly and efficiently deliver relief supplies including oral care products to evacuation centers, supply depots, and other relevant facilities in the event of a disaster, including large-scale natural disasters such as earthquakes. As part of the agreement’s conclusion, we spoke in detail with Mr. Mamoru Shimoe, General Manager of the Product Strategy Division, Merchandise Headquarters at Alfresa Healthcare Corporation, and Mr. Kotaro Mitsuoka, Group leader, Wholesaler team, Sales at Haleon Japan K.K.

* 1. Released on September 26, 2025, by the Earthquake Research Committee of the Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion, the report titled Long-term Evaluation of Seismic Activity along the Nankai Trough (Second Edition, Partially Revised) (Japanese Only)

Reference: Notice Regarding Conclusion of Agreement Between Alfresa Healthcare Corporation and Haleon Japan K.K. Regarding Cooperation During Disasters

Leaders Striving to Conclude Progressive Agreements

“The agreement between a pharmaceutical wholesaler and a healthcare manufacturer represents a pioneering initiative within the industry.” So declares Mr. Shimoe, who assumed the role of Head of Product Strategy in April 2025 and led the promotion of this agreement. With approximately 25 years of experience in client-focused sales, Mr. Shimoe has also spent six years in the Product Strategy Division, serving as the primary liaison with partner manufacturers. His career has spanned both the sales and procurement fronts, placing him at the heart of business operations. Throughout this time, he has consistently taken the lead in planning and implementing sales initiatives in collaboration with manufacturers, scaling them across the company. These efforts have sharpened his ability to ensure the stable supply of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, oral care products, and lifestyle-related products. In addition, he has cultivated strong coordination skills and built robust networks with internal and external stakeholders—capabilities that proved instrumental in the successful execution of this agreement.

“Delivering Haleon’s products across Japan to bring smiles to as many people as possible”—this is the guiding principle of Mr. Mitsuoka of Haleon Japan K.K., who remains committed to his daily sales activities. After gaining approximately ten years of experience in the Sales Division, he spent another four years planning and executing sales strategies, contributing to the business from both operational and strategic perspectives. “In fact, I’ve witnessed my own family and close friends struggle to smile due to oral or physical pain. That’s why I truly believe that delivering products that support people’s daily lives and health can lead to smiles across Japan,” he shares.
At the early stage of discussions on the agreement, Mr. Shimoe and Mr. Mitsuoka reflected on challenges Haleon Japan K.K. had faced in past disaster relief efforts. They explored how the nationwide logistics network—one of the key strengths of pharmaceutical wholesalers—and the product capabilities of consumer healthcare manufacturers could be leveraged during emergencies. Both parties agreed that building a joint framework was the key to combining their respective strengths. This shared understanding laid the foundation for planning the agreement, including relief supply strategies, operational workflows, and drafting the core document.

Oral Care Products Are Essential During Disasters

Support supplies during disasters must go beyond just drinking water and food. The stable supply of pharmaceuticals and oral care products—especially those essential for maintaining the health of elderly individuals—is also a lifeline. In evacuation settings, oral bacteria can proliferate due to factors such as water shortages, stress, and reduced opportunities for toothbrushing. This increases the risk of aspiration pneumonia and other infectious diseases, particularly among elderly people^*2.
Reflecting on past disaster relief efforts, Mr. Mitsuoka shared the following: “Among the supplies we’ve delivered, denture care products have consistently been in high demand. Because only a limited number of manufacturers can provide them, they are considered essential for maintaining oral hygiene and preventing aspiration pneumonia and other infections—making them indispensable for protecting the health of disaster survivors. In previous disasters, even when we were able to ship supplies from our logistics hubs, transportation bottlenecks often caused significant delays in reaching the affected areas. We also faced major challenges in tracking deliveries—whether they had arrived, and when they would be delivered remained unclear.” These experiences became a valuable lesson, ultimately leading to a partnership proposal with Alfresa Healthcare Corporation, which operates logistics hubs in 17 key regions across Japan and plays a vital role in ensuring the stable supply of pharmaceuticals as part of the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
Driven by Mr. Shimoe’s strong desire to deliver essential relief supplies swiftly—no matter where a disaster occurs—and to enhance the effectiveness of disaster response through collaboration between both companies, a series of careful discussions were held. These discussions ultimately led to the conclusion of the agreement, reflecting a shared commitment to fulfilling greater social responsibility.

* 2 Source: Report on Oral Care During Large-Scale Disasters, Research Group on “Establishing a Dental Health Crisis Management System in Large-Scale Disasters,” funded by the Health and Safety Crisis Management Research Program under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Scientific Research Grant.
https://jsdphd.umin.jp/pdf/nkkk/oralcare.pdf (Japanese Only)

Enhanced Effectiveness Through Simulations at Over 60 Disaster Sites and Cross-Departmental Collaboration

“Disasters can strike anywhere at any time. That's precisely why it's essential to rigorously manage logistics risks during peacetime and establish a system to deliver necessary relief supplies without delay,” Mr. Shimoe emphasized.
Over 100 oral care products manufactured by Haleon Japan K.K.—including toothpaste and denture care items—are stored at Alfresa Healthcare’s logistics hubs. In past disaster situations, Haleon Japan K.K. received requests for support, primarily for oral care products, from local governments and medical organizations with which it maintains regular partnerships. To respond to these requests, a supply system was established that enables rapid shipment from Alfresa Healthcare’s logistics hubs, supplemented by Haleon Japan’s inventory when necessary. In building this system, the team conducted dozens of simulations based on scenarios involving more than 60 disaster-affected areas across Japan. These simulations tested the shipment of relief supplies from nearby logistics hubs to ensure timely and effective delivery.
To strengthen the internal framework, Mr. Shimoe worked closely with Mr. Atsushi Nishioka, Group Leader of the Product Strategy Division, Merchandise Headquarters, and Manager of the Order Placement Center at Alfresa Healthcare Corporation, and Mr. Yuuki Motomura, Group Leader of SCM Division, Administration Headquarters at Alfresa Healthcare Corporation. Mr. Nishioka oversees the product ordering system and inventory management, while Mr. Motomura supervises logistics operations. Together, they held extensive discussions based on the results of simulations involving over 60 disaster-affected areas across Japan.
Mr. Nishioka and Mr. Motomura play central roles in managing order placement, inventory control, and logistics operations. With their expertise integrated into the team, Alfresa Healthcare Corporation was able to establish a seamless and robust coordination system. This enabled the verification of product types and quantities at each logistics hub, the reassessment of inventory requirements during disasters, and the securing of diverse delivery routes and transportation methods to address traffic disruptions. Furthermore, by identifying logistics-related risks during normal times and developing countermeasures in advance, the team ensured that critical relief supplies could be delivered without delay—even to disaster-affected areas where conditions are constantly changing.
“When it comes to optimizing relief supply operations—knowing where supplies are located, where they need to go, and when they should be delivered—it requires the involvement of a wide range of departments,” Mr. Shimoe reflected. “I was deeply impressed by how members from other departments took the initiative and actively engaged in the process. Thanks to their involvement, the effectiveness of the agreement improved visibly and rapidly.”

A Flexible Response System Shaped by Voices from the Field

“At the time of drafting the agreement, I felt a great deal of pressure to ensure that relief supplies would be delivered to disaster-affected areas both quickly and accurately,” recalled Mr. Shimoe. “There were moments when I felt deeply anxious—especially when I witnessed, during actual simulations, the possibility of delivery delays.” Despite these concerns, he continued to develop solutions for foreseeable challenges through steady effort, while working closely with other departments to identify and address unforeseen issues. This included determining where to establish the disaster response headquarters and who would serve as the main point of contact, as well as how to consolidate and share information efficiently across teams. In addition, he tackled practical questions such as identifying evacuation centers and supply depots in affected areas, deciding how to designate relief items and determine their types and quantities, preparing for potential shortages, and establishing how transportation costs would be allocated. By steadily resolving each of these issues, he was able to overcome initial anxieties and gradually developed a stronger sense of mission. Through dozens of cross-departmental discussions, a comprehensive and effective scheme was ultimately built—one that integrates inventory visibility, logistics systems, and request flows from local governments and medical organizations.
In the simulation based on a potential Noto Peninsula earthquake, the team was able to confirm that the lead time for delivering relief supplies to affected areas could be significantly reduced, ensuring rapid response. However, while the simulation included detailed assumptions about disaster zones and logistics hubs, the reality of a disaster—its timing, location, and scale—remains inherently unpredictable. Mr. Shimoe reflected, “Disasters never unfold exactly as expected. That’s precisely why we invested considerable time in designing operational workflows that allow us to obtain accurate information quickly and respond flexibly to changing conditions. We listened carefully to ideas from related departments and voices from the field, incorporating each insight into the scheme to build a system capable of adapting on the fly. What emerged was a form of open innovation, driven by the diversity of members both inside and outside our organization.”

Toward Partnerships That Fulfill Social Responsibility Through Shared Goals

Both Mr. Shimoe and Mr. Mitsuoka remarked in unison, “This agreement marks a new step forward—transcending the traditional roles of pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers to become partners committed to fulfilling social responsibility through a shared goal of disaster relief. It represents an evolution from collaboration to true co-creation.”
Mr. Shimoe recalled being deeply moved by a message shared by Haleon Japan K.K. during the proposal phase: “It’s not about business first. What matters most is bringing smiles to as many disaster survivors as possible.” To turn that sentiment into reality—and to ensure its sustainability—it is essential to balance social contribution with long-term business viability.
The two companies are not only committed to contributing to society through support for disaster survivors, but also to building a stable supply system and efficient operations that ensure business sustainability and future growth. Mr. Shimoe reflected, “By putting into action the proposal from Haleon Japan K.K., which focused on social contribution, we were given a truly valuable opportunity to rediscover the significance of co-creating both social and business value.”

Toward a Future Where Normal Works in Crisis Too

By combining Alfresa Healthcare’s nationwide logistics network with Haleon Japan K.K., specialized expertise and product capabilities, the two companies successfully built a disaster relief system that enables rapid and reliable response. The fusion of Alfresa Healthcare’s purpose—“Health × Connection × Happiness”—and Haleon Japan’s purpose—“Deliver better everyday health with humanity”—led to a form of co-creation that transcends corporate boundaries, serving as a social infrastructure that protects both individual health and local communities. It also reflects the Alfresa Group’s Philosophy, “We create and deliver a fresh life for all.”
Looking ahead, Mr. Shimoe expressed his aspirations as follows: “We will continue to strengthen our co-creative partnership so that we can deliver essential healthcare products—readily available in normal times—to the places where they are needed most during emergencies. Our goal is to help build a future where people can access what they need just as easily in times of crisis as they can in times of peace. While cherishing the spirit of supporting those facing hardship in disaster-affected areas, we also hope that this initiative will serve as a case study in cross-sector co-creation—one that contributes to the growth of the entire industry.”

Notice: This document is a translation of the original Japanese document and is for reference purposes only. In the event of any discrepancy between this translated document and the original Japanese document, the latter shall prevail.