Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad told the Dewan Rakyat today that efforts are being made to prevent a repeat of the insulin shortage in August caused by production problems with Biocon.

“We are aware of the existence of insulin analogues, which are about three times more expensive, but we are actively negotiating (with suppliers) and will continue to do so.

“At the same time, we are exploring other medications or anti-hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic agents, including the mentioned analogues, and we will continue to expand our sources,” he said in response to Dr Alias Razak (PN-Kuala Nerus).

Dzulkefly, however, did not reveal whom the ministry was negotiating with.

Alias had asked about the government’s plans to prevent future human insulin shortages and explore ways to make insulin analogues more affordable, noting their higher cost despite being more effective.

In response to the initial question from Azli Yusof (PH-Shah Alam), Dzulkefly said his ministry had spent RM23.25 billion on medication between 2015 and 2023.

He said the expenditure in 2023 increased by 30% compared to 2015, reaching RM3 billion more than the RM2.3 billion spent in 2015.

“This increase in financial allocation aligns with the rising prices of medicines, the growing number of patients, and the use of new medicines, which are often still under patent and thus more expensive,” he said, adding that he expects spending to continue increasing annually.