Consumer convenience: Dzulkefly had said the move was not about drug price control, as facilities are only required to display medication prices so the public can make informed decisions about which to choose. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Private medical healthcare centres will abide by the directive to display their medicine rates from next year, but private medical practitioners have asked for more clarity on the move.
Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said displaying medicine prices for outpatient services is more practical compared to inpatient services
“We believe displaying medication prices for inpatient care is impractical due to the diverse circumstances and conditions that arise during treatment.
“It is simply not feasible to present medication prices in wards, emergency rooms, or operating theatres,” he said when contacted.
Dr Kuljit also stressed their readiness to comply with medicine price displays for outpatient services.
“We are willing to use digital technology like webpages or tablets. We can also use such technology to create a telephone directory in fine print.
“APHM leaves it to the members to choose whichever way they deem good, as long as the patient has access,” he said.
However, he stated that the thousands of medications in hospitals make it impossible to use electronic billboards to display the prices.
Dr Kuljit also said private hospitals are already transparent in the sense that patients are given an estimate before any treatment begins and everything is itemised.
While APHM supports the push for greater transparency, he cautioned against using pricing data to unfairly label private healthcare providers as overly expensive or implement unjust price control measures in the future.
“The goal should be to empower patients, offering them the options to purchase medications based on their preferences for convenience and safety.
“By fostering an environment of clarity, we can enhance patient trust and satisfaction in private healthcare services,” he said.
The Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) said the mandate is the first step towards transparency, allowing consumers to know the price of medications from providers.
This is because at the moment the government is not implementing medication price control, said MPS president Prof Amrahi Buang.
“This is the first step towards transparency in this aspect, as medication inflation has been on the rise in the post-Covid-19 pandemic era. The logistics issues in Sabah and Sarawak make the situation even more noticeable.
“Consumers have a right to this information. For the community pharmacies, it’s a non-issue since they have been doing this all this while,” he said.
He also dispelled concerns that the mandate increases costs, adds administrative burden, and affects general practitioners.
“The practice of bundling medications and professional fees is not transparent from the viewpoint of the consumers.
“Under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, the prescribers can follow the fee schedule either with the medications supplied or without. The choice is theirs.
“The prescribers must provide the prescription for consumers to buy from any private healthcare facility, including the community pharmacies. This is a patient-centric care approach,” he said.
Regarding the mandate’s role in the anticipated increase in medical insurance premiums, Amrahi stated that it will offer a clearer understanding of medication prices.
However, Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations Malaysia president Dr Shanmuganathan Ganesan hit back, saying the price labelling initiative is still unclear.
“The higher-ups in the Pharmacy Division say every medicine item must be labelled. The ministry officials said that just a display of prices on a tablet or on the wall will suffice,” he said.
“Displaying it is not a one-off affair because if a clinic has 500 drugs, disposables, or injections, how do you keep up with the constant price change of these items?
“If the enforcement officers drop in, it would be easy to find flaws and impose penalties for non-compliance. So should we be looking after the patient or price display?” he asked.
He said administrative loads were the last things needed in a service centre.
Last week, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad stated that the ministry is steadfast in its decision to mandate the display of medication prices in private healthcare facilities beginning next year, without specifying a start date.
He said the move was not about drug price control, as facilities are only required to display medication prices so the public can make informed decisions about which to choose.
