Latest news with #ShanmuganathanTVGaneson
Free Malaysia Today
01-05-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Govt officers threatened clinics despite price display grace period, claims group
FPMPAM president Dr Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson called on the government to issue a gazetted directive confirming the grace period, legally binding on all enforcement personnel. PETALING JAYA : A private doctors' group claims domestic trade and cost of living ministry enforcement officers visited clinics today and threatened to issue them summonses for failing to display medicine prices. The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Associations Malaysia said the spot checks occurred despite the three-month grace period given by the health, and domestic trade and cost of living ministries yesterday. 'According to a Facebook post, the officers issued three-day ultimatums to the clinics they visited and warned them to comply or face legal summonses,' FPMPAM president Dr Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson said in a statement. He said the joint statement previously issued by the ministries specified a grace period, but the officers ignored this by conducting checks today. Shanmuganathan said the officers' actions 'confirm our worst fear that there is no real grace period. 'This is not policy reform, it is regulatory betrayal,' he said. He called on the government to issue a gazetted directive confirming the grace period, legally binding on all enforcement personnel. He also asked for an immediate halt to all punitive inspections until clear guidelines are released and disseminated to both clinics and ground officers. In a joint statement yesterday, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad and domestic trade and cost of living minister Armizan Mohd Ali promised a three-month grace period of 'educational enforcement'. The medicine price display order under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 came into effect today. Contravention of the order is punishable with a maximum RM50,000 fine for a person and a fine of up to RM100,000 for corporate bodies. Shanmuganathan said the federation plans to begin documenting enforcement actions and providing legal advice to clinics for 'professional survival under arbitrary power'. He reiterated its support for transparency in medicine pricing, but said such policy goals must not come at the cost of legal uncertainty, administrative bullying, and public confusion. Earlier today, an individual complained on Facebook that ministry officers visited his clinic today on Labour Day. 'Not bad, working on a public holiday. Asking for medication price and why I did not display it! 'They gave me a warning. They will be back in three days time! They will fine us if we don't display prices,' wrote the person in a post on the Malaysian Primary Care Network, a closed Facebook group. However, he did not specify if the visit was by domestic trade and cost of living ministry officers alone or with the presence of health ministry officers.
Malay Mail
01-05-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
Private doctors join call for grace period, clarity over mandatory drug price display rule kicking in today
KUCHING, May 1 — The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) has urged the government to issue a formal written directive for a reasonable implementation window for the mandatory medicine price display regulation. Its president Dr Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson said the government should instruct enforcement officers to adopt a non-punitive, educational approach during the initial period of implementation. 'The government should also engage GP (general practitioners) associations immediately to co-develop fair and workable compliance guidelines,' he said in a statement today. The statement was issued in response to the unexpected gazettement of the mandatory medicine price display regulation under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723), which is scheduled to come into effect on May 1. Dr Shanmuganathan said no grace period was provided under the gazetted regulation and this means that enforcement officers, particularly from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, may initiate action against clinics immediately, based on their own interpretations of compliance. He said the absence of an official implementation window or transitional directive had created a dangerous legal grey area. 'Frontline GP and specialist clinics, many of which serve B40 and M40 communities, are now legally exposed, despite making good faith efforts to adapt. 'Without time to restructure billing, train staff or engage patients, doctors face the risk of being wrongly penalised or accused of profiteering, simply for struggling to interpret and apply a complex new requirement,' he explained. According to Dr Shanmuganathan, this regulation compels clinics to unbundle every aspect of care including consultation (per illness or complaint), medications (individually priced) as well as consumables, procedures, documentation and operational overheads. He said this will result in longer and more itemised bills, which may be misinterpreted by patients as fee inflation, when in fact, the bundled subsidies clinics used to provide are no longer permitted. As such, he advised all private clinics to begin itemising fees for consultation, medicine and services to the best of their ability and display medicine pricing in good faith, even partially, with clear explanations to patients. He said they should keep records of all compliance efforts such as price lists, staff briefings and system changes and document any enforcement visits including names of officers, instructions given, and basis of alleged non-compliance. He added that they should also report incidents to FPMPAM and state societies promptly for legal tracking and support. Dr Shanmuganathan stressed that clinics should continue to act professionally, ethically and defensively, protecting both patients and staff while adapting under pressure. 'Doctors are not the cause of inflation, we are the first responders of Malaysia's health system,' he said. He pledged that FPMPAM will continue to protect ethical practice, legal clarity and patient access in the face of regulatory overreach, adding: 'These are challenging times for GPs, especially. The struggle should be continued.' — The Borneo Post
Borneo Post
01-05-2025
- Health
- Borneo Post
Doctors call for grace period, clarity over sudden medicine price display rule
The government has been called upon to instruct enforcement officers to adopt a non-punitive, educational approach during the initial period of implementation. – AFP file photo KUCHING (May 1): The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) has urged the government to issue a formal written directive for a reasonable implementation window for the mandatory medicine price display regulation. Its president Dr Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson said the government should instruct enforcement officers to adopt a non-punitive, educational approach during the initial period of implementation. 'The government should also engage GP (general practitioners) associations immediately to co-develop fair and workable compliance guidelines,' he said in a statement today. The statement was issued in response to the unexpected gazettement of the mandatory medicine price display regulation under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723), which is scheduled to come into effect on May 1. Dr Shanmuganathan said no grace period was provided under the gazetted regulation and this means that enforcement officers, particularly from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, may initiate action against clinics immediately, based on their own interpretations of compliance. He said the absence of an official implementation window or transitional directive had created a dangerous legal grey area. 'Frontline GP and specialist clinics, many of which serve B40 and M40 communities, are now legally exposed, despite making good faith efforts to adapt. 'Without time to restructure billing, train staff or engage patients, doctors face the risk of being wrongly penalised or accused of profiteering, simply for struggling to interpret and apply a complex new requirement,' he explained. According to Dr Shanmuganathan, this regulation compels clinics to unbundle every aspect of care including consultation (per illness or complaint), medications (individually priced) as well as consumables, procedures, documentation and operational overheads. He said this will result in longer and more itemised bills, which may be misinterpreted by patients as fee inflation, when in fact, the bundled subsidies clinics used to provide are no longer permitted. As such, he advised all private clinics to begin itemising fees for consultation, medicine and services to the best of their ability and display medicine pricing in good faith, even partially, with clear explanations to patients. He said they should keep records of all compliance efforts such as price lists, staff briefings and system changes and document any enforcement visits including names of officers, instructions given, and basis of alleged non-compliance. He added that they should also report incidents to FPMPAM and state societies promptly for legal tracking and support. Dr Shanmuganathan stressed that clinics should continue to act professionally, ethically and defensively, protecting both patients and staff while adapting under pressure. 'Doctors are not the cause of inflation, we are the first responders of Malaysia's health system,' he said. He pledged that FPMPAM will continue to protect ethical practice, legal clarity and patient access in the face of regulatory overreach, adding: 'These are challenging times for GPs, especially. The struggle should be continued.'
The Star
28-04-2025
- Health
- The Star
Countdown to price list display
Private healthcare players urge govt to reconsider new regulation PETALING JAYA: Supplements, along with controlled drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medication and traditional medicines, are required to be on the price list display by private hospitals and clinics once the Medicine Price Transparency Mechanism begins. The price display, which the Health Ministry has scheduled for Thursday, will also include extemporaneous drugs, which refers to medication specially prepared by pharmacists when an appropriate drug is not readily available yet. 'All medicine displayed for sale must come with a price list in ringgit that shows the price per unit, price per packet or the price per dosage. 'The price must be displayed in a readable font size and colour,' said the Health Ministry's Pharmacy Division in a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) released recently to healthcare practitioners. It is also stipulated that the price display must be in Bahasa Malaysia or English, and the uses of a drug cannot be mentioned or indicated although images of the medicine are permitted. This new regulation applies to private healthcare facilities including hospitals, hospices, psychiatric hospitals, clinics, mental health centres, dental clinics, haemodialysis centres, ambulatory centres, maternity centres, nursing homes and community pharmacies. But with three days left before the price display mechanism is expected to kick in, there is much doubt among private healthcare players on the implementation. Malaysian Chinese Medical Association president Heng Aik Teng said the group had not been informed of any requirement for a price list for traditional medicines. 'The situation regarding this matter is rather complex and requires further verification from the ministry,' he said. CLICK TO ENLARGE Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations Malaysia president Dr Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson said many general practitioners are anxious about the order taking effect on May 1. 'We all have our prices to enable our clinic staff to generate the charges. This is a bundled charge to cover other expenses. The display itself is a rudimentary requirement,' he said. Bundled charges refers to the total cost after factoring in professional fees, medicines, consumables and procedures. 'With so many associations voicing their displeasure, it is important that the Cabinet take note. Of course they can force it on the clinics, but this may backfire,' he added. Shanmuganathan said the government should scrap the plan and instead work towards revising consultation fees for GPs. Rachel Gan, honorary secretary of the Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild, said the move would increase administrative work for them. She said pharmacies had already been displaying prices for OTC medication and supplements for a long time. 'But the problem is price increase and fluctuation. Updating this list daily could be an unnecessary additional workload for us,' she said, adding that pharmacists may spend more time on administrative work instead of focusing on patient care. 'I have been trying to prepare the list and it takes a lot of work. We need to write down the generic name of medicines and the price per unit of tablets,' she said. Aside from that, reprinting catalogues if there is a price adjustment could be an added cost. 'If we use electronic devices and we use a tablet just to display prices, the cheapest one would cost RM300 per unit,' she said. 'So if you have several outlets, you can imagine the cost just to comply with this requirement.' According to the FAQ, the price list must be displayed in a physical form such as catalogues, notice boards, laptops, desktop computers, kiosks or electronic screens. The price list must be placed at a location that is easily accessible to patients, such as at the registration counter, hospital lobby or dispensary counters in pharmacies. The FAQ said displaying the price list via QR code, online or using LED banners or digital scrolling messages are not considered as other options for a physical price list. However, facilities are permitted to share the price list digitally via QR code or online through their website or official social media channels as an additional measure.
The Star
22-04-2025
- Health
- The Star
Experts: Price display regulations must be ‘reasonable'
PETALING JAYA: Catalogues, notice boards, laptops, desktop computers, kiosks and electronic screens – these are among the recommended devices for displaying the price list of medicines. This was outlined in a frequently-asked-questions (FAQs) document issued by the Health Ministry to private healthcare practitioners during a meeting of stakeholders recently. 'The choice of medium will depend on the suitability of the facility. The price list must be accessible to the patient during operating hours,' it said. The FAQ also specified that all medicines displayed for sale must be labelled with a price. A price list must also be provided for medicines not on display. 'It must be displayed in Bahasa Malaysia or English. The price list must include four key information: the generic name, active ingredient and strength, as well as trade name and price. 'The uses of the drug cannot be mentioned or indicated on the list, although images of the medicine are permitted for display,' the FAQ added. The price list must be placed at a location that is easily accessible to patients, such as at the registration counter, hospital lobby or dispensary counters in pharmacies. 'It must be accessible and visible to customers through electronic mediums or other appropriate devices at the premises,' it added. The FAQ clarified that displaying the price list via QR code, online, or using LED banners or digital scrolling messages, does not replace the requirement for a physical price list. However, facilities are permitted to share the price list digitally via QR code or online through their website or official social media channels as an additional measure. This new regulation applies to private healthcare facilities, including hospitals, hospices, psychiatric hospitals, clinics, mental health centres, dental clinics, haemodialysis centres, ambulatory centres, maternity centres, nursing homes and community pharmacies. Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Associations Malaysia president Dr Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson said the requirements have some shortcomings. 'Our difficulty is that the same drug name may come in three different formulations, five brands and six price tiers, which may not all be suitable for every patient. 'What will the public compare with? Price per pill? Generic versus original? Will they reject safer drugs for cheaper ones?' he said. Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said the price display implemented should be reasonable and beneficial to patients. 'Asking for details beyond this scope is an overreach and putting unnecessary burden on doctors who face legal action if it is not complied with. 'We strongly oppose the application of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723) to the medical profession. 'Act 723 is not a medical-specific legislation and should not be used to regulate healthcare practices, particularly when the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586) already exists to govern private medical practice in Malaysia. 'If need be, new regulations can be made under the powers given to the Health Minister under section 107 of Act 586. 'Any regulatory change should be made through meaningful engagement with medical professionals, ensuring policies are aligned with the realities of private healthcare delivery. 'Any enforcement on the breach of any policy being planned must be reasonable, not a burden and threat to the operations of clinics, which form the backbone of the primary healthcare sector in the country,' he said in a statement. 'MMA calls on the government to take cognisance of the seriousness of the issue and its ramifications on the healthcare profession, especially on primary care and urges the relevant ministries to urgently engage with stakeholders on the matter,' Dr Kalwinder added. The Medicine Price Transparency Mechanism is expected to come into effect on May 1.
