KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 \u2014 Doctors\u2019 associations and other medical groups are collectively fighting a looming mandate to display medicine prices at private general practitioner (GP) clinics, hospitals, and community pharmacies.<\/p>\n
CodeBlue understands that 10 medical associations held a meeting at the Malaysian Medical Association\u2019s (MMA) headquarters at MMA House here last Saturday to discuss the May 1 drug price display mandate by the Ministry of Health (MOH).<\/p>\n
The 10 groups are MMA, the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM), Organisation of Malaysian Muslim Doctors (Perdim), Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia (MPCAM), Academy of Family Physicians Malaysia (AFPM), Association of Private Practitioners Sabah (APPS), Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM), Association of Specialists in Private Medical Practice (ASPMP), Malaysian Association of Advancement of Functional & lnterdisciplinary Medicine (MAAFIM), and Society of Private Medical Practitioners Sarawak (SPMPS).<\/p>\n
\u201cAll medical NGOs (non-governmental organisations) agree to oppose the implementation of price displays and strongly object to the use of Act 723 (Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011) for the purposes of enforcing the price display policy,\u201d Perdim president Dr Boi Saidi Abd Razak wrote on his Facebook page Saturday<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAll medical NGOs agree that whatever new policies involving private clinics must remain under Act 586 (Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998).<\/p>\n \u201cAll NGOs also appeal to the MOH to always be transparent in introducing new policies and to continue actively meeting stakeholders before enforcing any policy.\u201d<\/p>\n Perdim suggested getting a meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, besides holding a press conference and asking MPs to bring the issue to Parliament.<\/p>\n