In a statement today, the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) lambasted the health ministry for its public silence on the matter as the May 1 deadline for the policy’s enforcement looms.

FPMPAM president Dr Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson said the health ministry must at least clarify its regulatory stance on the matter and protect its jurisdiction under the Poisons Act 1952 and Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998.

“A statement of position is urgently needed before further damage is done. This silence is not just awkward – it is dangerous.

“This overlapping of jurisdictions risks setting a precedent where non-medical enforcers dictate how medical services are priced: without nuance, clinical context or accountability to patient outcomes,” he said.

Shanmuganathan lamented that under the domestic trade ministry’s directive, clinics were expected to pre-label medicine prices as if they were static goods, despite medication pricing being subject to fluctuation in nature.

“Medications are not shelf-stable retail items. Their pricing is influenced by clinical discretion, patient-specific factors, and rising supplier costs – a reality about to be worsened by the recent tariff hikes on imported pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical consumables.”

Shanmuganathan pointed out that according to UN Comtrade data, Malaysia imported over RM11 billion worth of pharmaceutical products in 2024, with nearly 10% sourced from the US alone.

“The tariffs now expose general practitioners to unpredictable input costs. Yet under the domestic trade ministry’s directive, clinics are expected to pre-label medicine prices as if they were static goods.

“This mismatch creates distortion: clinics will either overprice to protect against volatility or underprice and absorb unsustainable losses. In either scenario, patients lose,” he said.