The ministry informed pharmaceutical companies of the move in a letter dated yesterday, sighted by FMT.

According to the letter, the Patient Access Scheme (PASc) was suspended as the ministry’s Pharmacy Practice and Development Division had been asked to seek the National Audit Department’s views on civil servants accepting free packs of drugs upon procurement of the medication.

However, Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy chief executive Azrul Mohd Khalib told FMT the move could affect thousands of people who were suffering from cancer and rare diseases and who depended on such medication.

“Malaysia doesn’t qualify as a poor country. We can’t buy these drugs at a cheaper price, so as an alternative, the PASc allows patients to gain access to these drugs.

“The PASc allows us to obtain these expensive and vital drugs for free from a pharmaceutical company when we purchase different drugs from the same company in lieu of the higher prices.”

Azrul said this did not mean that civil servants would receive the free packs for their own consumption, or to be resold.

“The free packs are not an incentive like a bonus, gift or holiday. These are life-saving and life-extending drugs going to the patients who need them.

“While we laud the government’s efforts to ensure a clean civil service, we believe this move is based on a misunderstanding of the nature of PASc and hope that it can be reviewed.”

In June, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said government administrators and high-ranking officers were not allowed to receive gifts, as part of efforts to combat corruption.

He said action would be taken against both the giver and receiver if this happened.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye told The Malay Mail that the move to suspend the PASc was to allow for further discussions with the National Audit Department.

“Need to discuss internally to comply with audit standard,” he was quoted as saying.

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