Drug prices: Private health facilities begin updating, preparing price lists

The Star

15-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Many private healthcare facilities in the capital and several states had begun to comply with the Medicine Price Display Order.
Bernama checks in Kuala Lumpur and several states found that healthcare facilities and pharmacies are preparing price lists for medicines, although it will take some time for them to implement the measure.
In Kuala Lumpur, Dr Theiva Amirta of Peters Polyclinic and Surgery said the clinic is working on a medicine price list but needs more time to update it before it can be displayed publicly.
"We don't always buy the same medicines. Sometimes when a particular supply runs out, we have to get a different one of higher quality. So we need to update the price list continuously," she told Bernama on Thursday (May 15).
She also suggested that enforcement of the regulation, which came into effect on May 1, be placed under the Health Ministry, which better understands the medical field.
Natasha Adila, a staff member at Asia Clinic, said the clinic needs time to display medicine prices, adding that the move helps patients make comparisons, though it may have a slightly negative impact on private clinics.
In Perlis, a pharmacy worker who only wished to be known as Su, 34, said her pharmacy has already implemented price displays to help customers make informed choices before purchasing the medicine they need.
"We've put price tags on the medicines so customers can see for themselves and make decisions based on their affordability. This definitely helps them," she said.
The initiative was also welcomed by 60-year-old grandmother of eight, Salhah Ismail from Sabah, who said the move is a great help in planning her medication expenses.
In Kelantan, retired civil servant Abidin Abdullah, 65, noted that with medical costs rising, the government's initiative is very helpful, especially for middle- and lower-income groups seeking affordable medication. – Bernama