CONSUMERS HAIL GOVT ORDER FOR DISPLAY OF MEDICINE PRICES

KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 (Bernama) -- The order to display medicine prices in private clinics and hospitals, effective today, has been welcomed by consumers who view the move as a manifestation of the government's concern for the rights and welfare of the people in obtaining health services transparently.

Most of them see this initiative as giving them more power to make purchasing decisions based on clear price information, in line with the principle of consumer rights.

A civil servant in Kedah, 48-year-old Norsyaliza Rosli hailed the move, saying it enables consumers to make price comparisons before buying the required medicines without hesitation or feeling cheated by unscrupulous parties trying to make a profit.

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"When the government enforced this action, they can no longer manipulate the prices of medicine arbitrarily because they know that stern action will be taken against them. As consumers, we have the right to choose, so this is something we should support,” she told Bernama.

Sixty-seven-year-old Mohd Yasin Zamri, a government retiree from Pendang, said the move would help the less fortunate like him to make price comparisons before making purchases at the pharmacy.

"Sometimes, when buying medicines, prices differ on different days… it's as if they are manipulating the prices. This is not right because everyone has the right to know the actual price of the medicine purchased and, if there is a leak, we can report it to the authorities to take action,” said Mohd Yasin, who suffers from diabetes and hypertension.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living said in a joint statement that the Medicine Price Labelling Initiative at private healthcare facilities and community pharmacies, effective today, was in line with the MADANI Government's commitment to implement price transparency through the Medicine Price Transparency Mechanism (MKHU).

The implementation of the initiative aims to empower consumers with informed choices by enabling them to know, compare, and select the best prices when planning their medication expenses.

Forty-seven-year-old Asrina Kartini Sulaiman, a civil servant in Sarawak, concurred as she views the implementation of the MHKU as a form of empowerment of consumers’ rights to make choices, particularly for those with low incomes.

"For example, if the buyers have a low income, surely they have a budget and choose an affordable option. Medicines are getting more expensive, so when we display the prices, we can decide whether or not to buy them or continue to check the prices at other places,” she said. 

Negeri Sembilan Consumers Association chairman Khairuddin Yunus said the initiative is seen to be consumer-friendly, where they can make a choice as to go ahead and buy the medicine at the clinic or just ask for a doctor's prescription and purchase the medicine from a pharmacy that offers a lower price than the private clinic.

"If you buy from the pharmacy, you'll know the price of the medicines but, if you buy them from private clinics, you won't know the prices charged and, like it or not, you'll just have to pay for them. This new mechanism is welcomed because consumers know the prices of the services provided,” he said.

Meanwhile, some pharmacists admitted that they had begun displaying medicine prices since early this year.

Siti Sarah Romli, a resident pharmacist at the Taman Ara Jaya Azam Pharmacy in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, said the initiative had been implemented since February, by setting the list of medicines and selling prices into a tablet so that they can be easily accessed by customers.

"When we first heard about the implementation of the MKHU, we started compiling (the list of medicines and their prices). When it came into effect today, we were ready although some details need to be corrected and added to the list to adhere to the government guidelines,” she said.

While she welcomes the government's initiative, Siti Sarah hopes that more specific discussions can be held with community pharmacies, particularly private pharmacies, so that a win-win situation can be achieved following the implementation of the mechanism.

-- BERNAMA