Medicine shortage: private premises can borrow supply from public facilities

KUALA LUMPUR – Private healthcare centres experiencing shortages can apply to obtain medicine from public healthcare facilities in the event of an emergency, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.

Khairy said the move was aimed at ensuring an adequate supply of medicines at both public and private healthcare centres amid a reported shortage of stock.

However, he said the public healthcare facilities that loaned out their medicine to private centres must ensure their own inventory is adequately stocked.

“The Ministry of Health (MoH) is aware of the issue of medicine shortages at private clinics and hospitals, and community pharmacies as reported of late,” he said in a statement, as quoted by The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister publication Getaran.

“Therefore, the MOH hopes such steps being taken will be able to temporarily solve the issue of medicine shortages in private health facilities, to ensure continuity in providing quality healthcare services to the people.”

Khairy said, if required, patients can also be referred to nearby public healthcare facilities from private ones to continue their treatment but pointed out how patients might have to alter their medication schedule based on the availability of required medicine.

“Patients can buy these medicines from community pharmacies with a prescription from the respective private clinics or hospitals,” he said.

Khairy added that both sectors have begun sharing information in listing down the types of medications experiencing shortages, and potential alternative treatments.

He said this move would be able to soften the immediate impact of shortages in healthcare centres, while optimising the use of alternative and generic medicines that are fully stocked and readily available.

“A long-term solution is being thought out by the MoH to handle this issue, while also conducting continuous monitoring to ensure Malaysia’s medicine supply remains adequate,” he said.

Last week, Khairy noted that the shortage was not due to panic buying by consumers’ but attributed it to high demand triggered by the spread of the Omicron variant of Vocid-19 and the current rising cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). – The Vibes, June 13, 2022.