Call to regulate medicine and treatment prices at private healthcare centres to prevent profiteering
ALOR STAR: The government should regulate the price of medicine and treatments charged by private healthcare providers to prevent profiteering.
While lauding the move to enforce a mandatory price labelling directive for medicines, the Consumer Association of Kedah (Cake) president Yusrizal Yusoff called for active steps to regulate the prices of medicine sold in private hospitals, clinics and pharmacies.
"While the Transparency in Medicine Pricing Mechanism initiative represents progress, it is not seen as a comprehensive solution to the issue of healthcare affordability because it does not regulate or cap those prices.
"This leaves room for profiteering, with some parties continuing to raise medicine prices year after year.
"Treatment and consultation fees should also be capped to prevent excessive charges by private healthcare providers," he said in a statement today.
Yusrizal added that the unchecked rise in prices had disproportionately affected low-income consumers.
"What is truly needed is not just price transparency, but real price control. Affordable healthcare and medicine must be a priority.
"Many are now forced to forgo proper medication or turn to traditional treatments, whose efficacy and safety are not guaranteed," he said.
The association also called for routine audits of medicine prices under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 to prevent unjustified hikes by irresponsible parties.
The mandatory price labelling for medicines at private healthcare centres and community pharmacies was implemented yesterday.
The move was taken to help the public make informed choices in selecting the most affordable when managing their medication expenses.
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