03/05/2025

SATURDAY | MAY 3, 2025

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Mandatory medicine price display hailed as consumer win

PWD to carry out 66 new healthcare projects under 12MP BUTTERWORTH: The Public Works Department (PWD) is implementing 66 new construction projects for the Health Ministry under the Fifth Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), with a total allocation of RM2.4 billion. Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said PWD, through its Health Works Branch, has also been entrusted with 170 healthcare facility projects nationwide valued at RM16.47 billion. “These include 62 projects in the pre construction (planning) phase estimated at RM4.05 billion, 64 projects currently under construction worth RM7.88 billion and 44 completed projects in the post construction phase involving RM4.54 billion,” he said during the handover ceremony of the Multi-Storey Block Construction Project at Seberang Jaya Hospital yesterday. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad was also present at the event. Nanta noted that from the Ninth Malaysia Plan to the 12MP, 12 projects valued at RM1.31 billion have been implemented in Penang under the Works Ministry. In Penang, the pre-construction phase involves five projects estimated at RM139 million while the construction phase comprises five projects worth RM781 million. Two completed projects fall under the post-construction phase, with a combined cost of RM396 million. Commenting on the Seberang Jaya Hospital development, he said PWD was assigned the project in 2016 under a RM371 million design-and-build contract. The nine-storey block includes a 77% increase in bed capacity – from 413 to 729 – along with new roads and parking facilities built on the hospital’s existing field, spanning 1.32ha. – Bernama New naval vessels to boost maritime defence SUBANG: The Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) capability to safeguard national waters will be significantly strengthened with the procurement of five littoral combat ships (LCS) and three littoral mission ships (LMS) scheduled to begin next year, according to Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari. He said construction progress for both classes of vessels was satisfactory, with the first LCS expected to be delivered in August next year and the LMS fleet by 2027. “The government remains committed to enhancing the navy’s capabilities by equipping it with new assets. We are also ensuring these ships are fitted with advanced technology to meet our defence needs,” he said after launching a digital studio at Sekolah Kebangsaan TUDM Subang yesterday. He was commenting on a news portal report highlighting the challenges faced by the RMN due to its ageing combat fleet. Adly added that the first LCS is currently undergoing port and sea trials, while construction of the LMS is under way following the finalisation of its procurement from Turkish defence firm Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik in June last year. – Bernama

o New regulation lauded as it aims to boost transparency, informed choices at private healthcare facilities and pharmacies

KUALA The implementation of mandatory medicine price displays at private healthcare facilities and community pharmacies effective May 1, has been welcomed as a step forward in strengthening consumer rights and promoting informed healthcare decisions. National Consumer Action Council deputy president (international policy and strategy) Masrudi Abdul Rahman said the policy would allow consumers to compare prices and manage their healthcare budgets more effectively. “This initiative can also act as an indirect form of health education and serve as a starting point for wider discussions on product effectiveness, safety and whether a LUMPUR:

because consumers now know the cost of the services provided.” Meanwhile, some pharmacies have already begun implementing the policy voluntarily. Siti Sarah Romli, a resident pharmacist at Taman Ara Jaya Azam Pharmacy in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, said they started preparing for the rollout in February by compiling a list of medicines and their prices in digital form for customer reference. “When we first heard about the implementation of the MKHU, we started compiling the list of medicines and their prices. When it came into effect today, we were ready, although some details still need to be updated to meet the government’s guidelines.” While supportive of the initiative, Siti Sarah hopes for more structured engagement with private community pharmacies to ensure a balanced and practical implementation. “According to the study, price mark-ups could reach as high as 200% – a key factor behind high medical costs, which is unacceptable.” He expressed hope that the introduction of the medicine price transparency mechanism would help curb excessive pricing by enabling consumers to make better-informed comparisons. Meanwhile, several consumer organisations issued a joint statement praising the new law as a critical move towards addressing long-standing issues of price opacity and wide price variation in the healthcare sector. They stressed that the mechanism should not be mistaken for price control. “It is the fundamental right of a consumer to be informed, to be heard, to choose and to be safe with the goods which they consume. Medicines are an essential good where there is information asymmetry in their provision and consumption.” The statement was jointly issued by the Consumers Association of Penang, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations, Persatuan Pengguna Luar Bandar dan Ekologi Malaysia, Teras Pengupayaan Melayu and Persatuan Keselamatan Pengguna Kuala Lumpur. They noted that the price display mechanism addresses the consumer’s or patient’s right to be informed about the product being purchased. “This policy focuses solely on the pricing of medicines, not on the fees or income of healthcare professionals such as doctors. “Doctors’ earnings relate to consultation fees, operational costs and remuneration, which are separate financial considerations and fall under different ministries and policy frameworks,” the organisations added.

extemporaneous preparations. Public health policy researcher Dr Lim Chee Han from the People’s Health Forum said a 2022 Medicine Price Monitoring study conducted by the Health Ministry found that high medical costs and medicine prices were primarily due to a lack of price transparency. “Patients often learn the price of their medicines only after receiving the bill, which is unfair. This practice has become normalised in the medical sector.

particular medicine or supplement is necessary or simply part of a trend,” he told Bernama. The requirement is enforced under the Price Control and Anti Profiteering (Price Labelling for Medicines) Order 2025, introduced under the Price Control and Anti Profiteering Act 2011. It applies to all medicines for human use, including controlled substances, prescription and non prescription drugs, traditional medicines, health supplements and

Lim expressed hope that the medicine price transparency mechanism would help curb excessive pricing by enabling consumers to make better-informed comparisons. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN Public welcomes full disclosure of pricing KUALA LUMPUR: The mandatory display of medicine prices at private clinics and hospitals has been welcomed by consumers who view the move as a sign of the government’s commitment to ensure transparency in healthcare. Many Malaysians see the initiative as empowering them to make informed purchasing decisions based on clear pricing – a fundamental consumer right. fortunate make comparisons before buying medicine. “Sometimes, when buying In Sarawak, 47-year-old civil servant Asrina Kartini Sulaiman echoed this sentiment, particularly for low-income households. “For example, if the buyers have a low income, surely they have to budget and choose an affordable option. Medicines are getting more expensive, so when we display the prices, we can decide whether or not to buy them, or continue checking prices elsewhere.”

medicines, prices differ on different days. It’s as if they are manipulating the prices. This is not right because everyone has the right to know the actual price of the medicine purchased. If there is a discrepancy, we can report it to the authorities.” Yesterday, the Health Ministry and the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry issued a joint statement announcing that the Medicine Price Labelling Initiative at private healthcare facilities and community pharmacies, effective May 1, aligns with the Madani government’s commitment to greater price transparency under the Medicine Price Transparency Mechanism (MKHU). The initiative is aimed at empowering consumers to make informed choices by allowing them to compare and select the best prices for their medication needs.

Negeri Sembilan Consumers Association chairman Khairuddin Yunus also praised the mechanism as consumer-friendly, offering patients the flexibility to either purchase medicines at the clinic, or opt for a prescription, and buy them at more affordable prices from pharmacies. “If you buy from the pharmacy, you’ll know the price of the medicines. But if you buy them from private clinics, you often don’t and, like it or not, you just have to pay. This new mechanism is welcomed

Civil servant Norsyaliza Rosli, 48, from Kedah, hailed the move as timely and necessary. “When the government enforced this action, private facilities can no longer manipulate the prices of medicine arbitrarily because they know that stern action will be taken against them. As consumers, we have the right to choose, so this is something we should support,” she told Bernama. Government retiree Mohd Yasin Zamri, 67, from Pendang, said the initiative would help the less