KUALA LUMPUR, August 22 — The yearly occurrence of insulin shortages in Malaysia reflects the government’s poor planning and management to ensure a steady supply of the lifesaving diabetes drug, said Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii.
The Sarawakian government backbencher said the current nationwide insulin shortage crisis, as reported by CodeBlue yesterday, would particularly affect vulnerable populations, including the elderly, low-income patients, and those living in rural areas with limited access to health care resources.
“We are even getting reports that due to the shortage, patients are forced to switch to oral medications instead, which may not be as effective on person itself, risking possible uncontrolled blood sugar levels, increased risk of complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, and even life-threatening situations like diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA),” Dr Yii told CodeBlue in a statement yesterday.
“What is concerning is this seems to be an annual issue, which reflects poor planning and management on the side of the government to ensure steady supply of such critical medication. That is why I urge for urgent intervention, including short- and medium-term measures to ensure a steady flow of supply of insulin.”
CodeBlue reported that since last February, the Ministry of Health (MOH) had already forecast a 21 per cent shortfall in its supply of human insulin for this year. The MOH receives supply of human insulin from two providers: Biocon Biologics’ biosimilar insulin and Novo Nordisk’s originator insulin at an 80:20 ratio.
Dr Yii – who was previously chair of the Health, Science and Innovation parliamentary special select committee in the 14th Parliament – called for enforcement against any sudden price hikes due to the low supply of insulin.
Other immediate measures he proposed include short-term subsidies for patients to obtain insulin from the private sector, as well as increased awareness and education on insulin adherence to prevent wastage by existing patients.
As for medium-term measures to cope with the current shortage of human insulin, Dr Yii urged the government to look for both local and international sources of insulin supply, including fast-tracking approvals if regulatory requirements are met and facilitating imports from other countries if necessary.
“Run an audit and necessary optimisation of the supply chain, including improving stockpiling and inventory management to ensure an adequate stockpile of insulin and ensure effective inventory management to prevent shortages at the national and local levels on an annual basis,” he added.
The DAP lawmaker said the government should also aim to secure long-term supply contracts with pharmaceutical companies, besides encouraging local production of insulin to reduce dependence on imports.
CodeBlue’s report yesterday attributed the severe insulin shortage in MOH facilities to reported supply problems with India-based biosimilars company Biocon Biologics that runs an insulin manufacturing facility in Johor.
“There should be incentives for these local manufacturers to prioritise domestic supplies, especially in times of shortage, on top of better investment in local insulin production facilities to ensure medicinal security,” Dr Yii said.
The government MP said the core issue was Malaysia’s non-communicable disease (NCD) crisis, especially the prevalence of diabetes at 15.6 per cent (3.6 million adults), according to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023.
“There has to be holistic policies, not just from the Ministry of Health, but even reasonable taxation to discourage the usage of sugar in our daily lives. If we do not nip this issue in the bud, we will not just continue to have annual shortages, but worse, we will continue to age as an unhealthy nation.
“I believe there has to be a concentrated effort by the whole of government to address this issue. It is not just affecting the health of our nation, but also the economy and productivity of our nation.”
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok urged the MOH to broaden its number of insulin suppliers. Biocon’s insulin is supplied by Biocon Sdn Bhd and Duopharma Sdn Bhd, whereas Novo Nordisk’s insulin is supplied by Pharmaniaga Logistics Sdn Bhd.
“The bulk of the contract is given to Duopharma and this company is unable to supply the required stock. MOH should broaden the number of suppliers to mitigate this matter from happening again,” Kok told CodeBlue.
“It has been a recurring issue in MOH for so many years.”
