Consumer NGOs question the need for secrecy if the current medicine pricing and margins are ethical and fair.
PETALING JAYA: The private healthcare sector must embrace transparency or risk losing the public’s trust, says a coalition of consumer groups as the government moves to mandate drug price displays at private clinics and hospitals.
The coalition of 21 NGOs led by the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca), the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) and the Third World Network expressed its full support for the policy set for enforcement from May 1.
They questioned the need for secrecy if the pricing and margins are ethical and fair.
“Let consumers see, compare and choose. This is what a mature, fair and competitive health sector looks like,” said the coalition in a joint statement today.
They rejected claims that the health and domestic trade and cost of living ministries lacked industry understanding, arguing that both ministries are the most qualified authorities to regulate Malaysian healthcare.
On Wednesday, the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) questioned the rationale for allowing the domestic trade and cost of living ministry to mandate drug price displays in general practice clinics, which are mainly regulated by the health ministry.
However, the NGOs said today that the medical industry’s self-regulation had failed.
They cited a 2022 survey that revealed medicine price markups of up to 900% and price variations exceeding 400% for the same drugs at different private clinics and hospitals.
They said consumers were often left in the dark due to the lack of itemised billing and clear pricing.
“You don’t ask the fox to guard the henhouse. The government must regulate because self-regulation has failed.
“We’ve seen the damage unchecked profiteering has done to our healthcare costs,” said Fomca CEO T Saravanan.
The coalition claimed other countries such as Australia, Thailand, South Korea and France have already successfully enforced similar transparency laws.