KUALA LUMPUR – The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) has lauded the government’s new price display regulation for medicines, calling it a crucial step toward transparency, accountability, and consumer empowerment in the private healthcare sector.
Effective May 1, 2025, the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Price Tagging for Medicines) Order 2025 mandates all private clinics and community pharmacies to clearly display prices for all human-use medications, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, traditional medicines, and health supplements.
FOMCA CEO Dr. Saravanan Thambirajah said the move will protect consumers from ambiguous and inconsistent pricing, especially at a time when Malaysia’s medical inflation rate has surged to 15%, outpacing regional and global averages.
“This law restores a basic consumer right, the right to know and to choose,” he said in a statement issued today. “Transparent price tagging allows Malaysians to compare costs, plan healthcare spending, and avoid overcharging.”
The new regulation follows more than five years of public consultations. A previous Ministry of Health proposal, which aimed to cap prices for select single-source prescription drugs, was ultimately shelved following strong opposition from pharmaceutical players and some professional groups, a decision FOMCA described as disappointing.
Despite this, Dr. Saravanan welcomed the current compromise, calling it a “minimum but necessary” step to ensure fair and ethical healthcare trade practices.
Responding to concerns that the regulation may affect doctors’ earnings, FOMCA clarified that the rule focuses solely on medicine pricing, not on consultation fees or operational expenses. “The income of healthcare professionals is shaped by their expertise, consultation charges, and service quality, not hidden drug markups,” he stressed.
FOMCA believes that transparent pricing will enhance trust between patients and providers, particularly in the private sector where out-of-pocket medication purchases are the norm.
FOMCA is urging all healthcare providers to comply fully with the new regulation and encouraging the public to report non-compliance. “Together, we can build a fairer, more transparent, and more affordable healthcare system for all Malaysians,” Dr. Saravanan said. -MalayaDailyToday
