Private clinics mark up medicine prices by as much as 75pct, survey reveals

New Straits Times

05-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Private clinics are charging substantially higher prices — ranging from 23 per cent to 75 per cent more — for common and long-term medications compared to community pharmacies.
A Berita Harian survey revealed that, for instance, private clinics sell 500 milligram (mg) paracetamol tablets at approximately RM1 each, while some pharmacies offer them for as little as 25 sen per tablet.
Similarly, a box of the controlled cholesterol medication atorvastatin 20mg containing 30 tablets is sold at around RM160 at clinics, compared to RM122 at pharmacies.
An anti-allergy pill brand (4mg) costs RM1 per tablet at a clinic but is available at pharmacies for just 30 sen per tablet.
According to Dr. Boi Saidi B Abd Razak, President of the Islamic Doctors Organisation of Malaysia (PERDIM), the significant price difference between the two premises is due to purchasing methods, where pharmacies typically buy medicines in bulk, enabling them to obtain lower prices from suppliers.
He stated that, in contrast, private clinics usually purchase medicines in smaller quantities, resulting in higher prices from suppliers compared to pharmacies.
"At the same time, private clinics also bear various other costs including rental, staff salaries, signage licenses, utility bills, and regular courses for medical license renewals.
"The price differences between private clinics and community pharmacies are not excessively high," he told BH yesterday.
As of May 1, the Health Ministry (MOH) together with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) enforced a regulation requiring private clinics to display medicine prices under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Medicine Price Labeling) Order 2025.
However, the MOH clarified that no fines will be issued during the three-month advocacy period.
This enforcement has been opposed by general practitioners (GPs) and the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).
Dr. Boi Saidi said that PERDIM and other health NGOs object to the implementation of mandatory price displays at private clinic premises, as it overlaps with two existing acts that regulate private clinic services, causing confusion and administrative burden.
"Intervention in the health sector by KPDN through the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723) is also seen as unreasonable.
"This is because there is no official price control on medicines in the country, and enforcement may lead to confusion and overlapping jurisdictions," he said.
He also expressed concern that private clinics could face fines or imprisonment for minor technical offenses without reasonable discretion from enforcement authorities.
"To date, there is no specific act regulating the governance of insurance companies, third-party administrators (TPAs), or managed care organizations (MCOs), whereas medicine pricing should fall under the clinic's jurisdiction.