KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad yesterday announced that the government has endorsed a long-awaited revision of private GP consultation fees, which have remained stagnant for over three decades.
The revision falls under Schedule 7 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586), which regulates private health care facilities, including GP clinics. The move comes as the Ministry of Health (MOH) prepares to enforce mandatory medicine price displays at private health care facilities starting May 1.
“I have received endorsement from the National Cost of Living Action Council (Naccol) for Schedule 7 of Act 586 to be immediately reviewed and for us to carry out a revision on GPs’ consultation fees.
“Not only has Naccol agreed, but the Prime Minister himself has agreed for Schedule 7 to be revised. We are actually in the final stages of discussions with the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) to determine the new consultation fees under Schedule 7 of Act 586,” Dzulkefly told a press conference in Parliament yesterday.
The health minister said the outcome of discussions between the Ministry of Health (MOH) and DOSM will be announced by April at the latest, or possibly earlier, ahead of the scheduled enforcement of medicine price displays on May 1.
Dzulkefly said this follows an engagement session with private GPs, who said they were “only willing” to display medicine prices if Schedule 7 of Act 586 was revised, as their consultation fees have not been updated for more than 30 years.
“So, with that, as I have assured GP clinics that I will fight for this (revise their fees) and it has already been agreed upon, insyaAllah, I expect to receive strong support from GP clinics on May 1, so that together we can implement the display of medicine prices as a means for the public and patients to make informed decisions about their treatment.
“At the same time, this will allow market forces to regulate prices and curb inflation, which is said to be rampant,” Dzulkefly said. “But this is what I hope for—that with Schedule 7 of Act 586 being revised, the fraternity of GP clinics will join us alongside private hospitals in displaying medicine prices on May 1.”
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) previously urged the government to delay the mandatory implementation of drug price displays at private general practitioner (GP) clinics until consultation fees are reviewed and gazetted. GP consultation fees have been stagnant for 33 years at RM10 to RM35.
The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations, Malaysia (FPMPAM) went further, threatening legal action if the government proceeded with enforcement.
FPMPAM president Dr Shanmuganathan Ganeson expressed concerns that linking the fee review with drug price transparency in a “trade-off” would ultimately lead to dispensing separation, preventing doctors from selling medicines directly to patients.
According to MOH’s presentation slides from a February 27 briefing, sighted by CodeBlue, the new requirement for private health care facilities to display medicine prices falls under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723), which is under the jurisdiction of the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN). However, it will apply to private clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies regulated under Act 586.
The rule mandates that drug prices be displayed clearly at private clinics, hospital lobbies, and pharmacy counters, either in print, electronically, or on medication packaging. Community pharmacies must include prices for psychotropic and prescription drugs, while private hospitals can display separate rates for outpatients and inpatients.
