KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Consumer and Family Economics Association (MACFEA) has urged general practitioners to collectively come up with a position paper (one that argues a specific stance) based on data, research and international best practices on the issue of pricing for medicine.
MACFEA exco Prof Dr Nuradli Ridzwan Shah Mohd Dali said that as the frontline in the country’s healthcare system, general practitioners (GPs) should respond to the issue with a fact-based approach and scientific explanation.
This approach, he said, would not only strengthen the position of GPs in the national health policy discourse, but could also increase the people’s trust in the private medical system in Malaysia.
“Any concerns regarding the implications of drug price disclosure such as its impact on private clinic business model, variations in logistics and procurement costs and differences in drug formulations must be conveyed in a transparent and responsible manner, in order to convince the ministry and the Malaysian public.
“Transparency in health costs is a crucial aspect in ensuring fairness to consumers,” he said in a statement here today.
At the same time, MACFEA also fully supports the government’s noble efforts to increase transparency of prices in the private medical sector, in line with the principles of accountability, integrity and social justice.
He said the move would not only help consumers make more informed choices, but also reduce the risk of price manipulation and lack of transparency in treatment costs.
The government has mandated that private heathcare providers like clinics and community pharmacies are required to display medicine prices (with visible tags) starting May 1, under the Medicine Price Transparency Mechanism.
