LETTERS – Medicines are not an item to be based solely on supply and demand. Medicines save lives. It is fundamental for patients’ endurance and recuperation.
Medicines cannot be managed with as other commodities, which is the reason medicine affordability is under the Health Ministry and not a trade ministry.
Medicines are a critical consumer right. They should be never be managed on how much benefit merchants make.
The Malaysia Competition Commission undertook a Market Review on the Pharmaceutical Sector.
The review said: “Malaysian medication costs are high by international standards.”
Apparently that pharmaceutical companies in Malaysia are making excessive gains by international standards.
In another study, it was tracked down that “Malaysia has on average higher retail prescription price compared to Australia due to the lack of pharmaceutical regulation”.
The Pharmaceutical Services Program, Health Ministry (2018), on Medicines Prices Monitoring Malaysia (2017), said wholesale medicine costs in Malaysia were multiple times more prominent than the International Reference Price.
A 2019 Universiti Malaya study showed that 72 per cent of cancer patients experienced monetary fiasco during the first year of treatment in private hospitals, while one third of households became impoverished.
It is for sure that pharmaceutical organizations want to keep up with their excessive profits.
That is why the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) draws in with the Health Ministry on the issue of Medicine price affordability and price regulation.
Based on this engagement, the cabinet approved the Medicines Price Mechanism Policy proposal by the Health Ministry in collaboration with the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.
The policy would enable medicine price regulation, guaranteeing fairness and justice to consumers with a reduction of exorbitant profits for pharmaceutical firms.
The policy has yet to be carried out.
Fomca supports the implementation of the policy, which is fairer to consumers.
We call on the prime minister, under his Keluarga Malaysia philosophy, to put consumer and patients’ welfare ahead of pharmaceutical firms’ profits.
The government must protect the right of consumers.
Food and medicines are fundamental necessities of individuals. The government takes aggressive measures to reduce food prices.
A caring government, though the Health Ministry, should put the people first in ensuring their access to affordable medicines.
Source: Dr Paul Selva Raj (NST.COM.MY)
