PETALING JAYA: Private pharmacies are seeing an increase in medicine prices, but they say the 5% to 10% hike is part of a routine annual price review.
Much of the price increase is due to manufacturers raising rates, rising supply chain costs, currency fluctuations and logistical expenses, said the Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild.
“We are indeed seeing an upward trend in medicine prices in private pharmacies, but it is not a 30-40% increase as claimed.
“Price adjustments have largely hovered between 5% and 10%,” said guild president Sarah Abdullah.
She said the impact was most visible in imported and original branded medications.
“However, there are generic options that are more affordable,” she added.
She said the price increases were not limited to medicine, but also to other healthcare essentials like nutritional supplements and milk powders.
She said suppliers generally notify pharmacies of price changes a month in advance, allowing them to manage stock and advise patients accordingly.
“We want to reassure patients that medicines remain available. We advise the public not to engage in panic buying or overstocking, as this can create unnecessary pressure on the supply chain,” she said.
On Friday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad had acknowledged that there had been increases in medicine prices, as they are closely linked to industry factors and input costs such as oil, which has seen a huge price due to the conflict in the Middle East.
“As a result, the cost of medicines has risen. The increase is estimated to be around 30-40% in certain cases, and possibly higher for specific medical devices,” he said.
He said the cost issues began as early as March. The conflict began on Feb 28.
“There has been an increase of around 50% to 100% for certain devices,” Dzulkefly said, adding that the ministry had put on hold certain purchases.
The government has also implemented the Special Access Pathway to expedite the registration of medical devices.
“This approach is just an interim measure to deal with shortages and crisis situations,” he said, adding that there would be no compromise on the safety and quality of approved devices.