The Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) is calling for urgent reforms in Malaysia’s health care and insurance systems. These reforms include ensuring equitable insurance pricing and expanding coverage to include community pharmacy services — critical steps toward enhancing patient care, reducing health care costs, and creating a more sustainable health care system.
Delay Premium Hikes And Ensure Fair Pricing
MPS urges insurance providers and takaful operators to postpone premium increases for medical and health insurance (MHIT) policies. The government’s efforts to ensure transparent pricing in private hospitals are expected to highlight discrepancies in pricing practices, providing insurers an opportunity to negotiate fairer claims.
Prematurely raising premiums will unfairly burden policyholders and risk overloading the already stretched public health care system.
Integrate Community Pharmacies Into Insurance Coverage
MPS proposes expanding insurance claims to include outpatient services provided by community pharmacies. As accessible health care providers, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to manage minor ailments, provide preventive care, and support patients in managing chronic diseases.
- Enhancing medication compliance: Pharmacists play a pivotal role in ensuring patients adhere to prescribed treatments, reducing complications and hospitalisations.
- Preventing severe conditions: Early interventions by pharmacists can prevent illnesses from escalating, improving outcomes and saving costs for both patients and insurers.
- Addressing the NCD burden: With rising cases of diabetes, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases, pharmacists are equipped to provide medication reviews, lifestyle advice, and regular monitoring.
- Relieving health care strain: Expanding insurance coverage to include pharmacy services will reduce the load on general practitioners (GPs) and hospitals, offering patients timely and convenient care closer to home.
A Path Toward Sustainable Health Care
By empowering community pharmacies and integrating them into the insurance ecosystem, we can enhance medication compliance, prevent disease progression, and provide better health care access for Malaysians.
These measures will not only improve patient outcomes, but also reduce overall health care costs.
MPS stands ready to collaborate with stakeholders to advocate for these reforms, ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable health care system that prioritises the well-being of all Malaysians.
Prof Amrahi Buang is president of the Malaysian Pharmacists Society.
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