drug procurement Archives

19 March 2026

Opinion

Malaysia’s Medicine Security At Risk Due To Persian Gulf Conflict

Malaysia’s potential pharmaceutical vulnerability is exposed with alarming clarity. Malaysia is a net importer of pharmaceuticals. Generic medicines are often the most exposed to supply shocks. The government should establish a Health Security Agency.

4 July 2025

Malaysia

MOH’s Drug Procurement Chaos ‘Ironic’ After Price Transparency, Doctors Say

GPs call out the double standards in the MOH's price transparency policy, while the ministry's own "opaque" drug procurement practices come under fire from the pharmaceutical industry. "Real reform must start where the biggest leakages occur," says FPMPAM.

2 July 2025

Malaysia

Drug Procurement Maelstrom In MOH Triggers Industry Discontent

Confusion reigns about drug procurement in MOH, with issues like delays in procuring medicines, risking shortages; choosing generics at 100% to 200% higher prices than off-patent innovators; “opaque” tenders and insufficient support for the local industry.

13 June 2025

Malaysia

UMMC Epidemiologist Touts Asean Procurement Of ‘Magic Bullet’ Cancer Drugs

UMMC epidemiologist Prof Dr Nirmala touts Asean-level drug procurement to improve access to life-saving cancer meds, particularly high-cost drugs that extend survival to over 5 years. She also suggests localised dose-optimisation trials for cancer drugs.

11 April 2025

Malaysia

Stronger Dollar, US Cost Pressures May Hit Malaysia’s Drug Supply: Pharmaceutical Suppliers

The Malaysian Association of Pharmaceutical Suppliers (MAPS) says US inflation and a stronger dollar may increase Malaysia’s drug import costs, even without direct tariffs. MAPS urges MOH to allow flexibility in contract prices if procurement costs spike.

24 January 2025

Malaysia

MOH Proposes Jumpstarting Local Pharmaceutical Investments With Three-Year Contracts

Under its proposed off-take policy, MOH moots offering 3-year contracts to encourage local pharmaceutical companies to produce critical off-patent drugs that currently only have one supplier, so as to get better prices and boost the local pharma industry.

11 October 2024

Letter

Budget 2025: Reforms And Increased Investments Needed In Four Critical Areas Of Health — Azrul Mohd Khalib

The Galen Centre's Budget 2025 wishlist: national health and social insurance, prioritising peritoneal dialysis, increase medicines allocation for dermatology, and 5% earmark of annual revenue from tobacco/ vape/ alcohol taxes to procure innovative drugs.

13 August 2024

Malaysia

MOH Wants ‘Right’ To Review Existing Pharmaceutical Procurement Contracts In ‘Certain’ Situations

As part of MOH's review of its pharmaceutical and medical device procurement process, MOH has called for the government's "right" to renegotiate prices and cheaper alternative product supplies than the product in the contract in "certain" circumstances.

11 March 2024

Malaysia

Ringgit Fall Won’t Affect Drug Prices With Three-Year Procurement Contracts: Lukanisman

Lukanisman says the ringgit fall won't affect medicine prices, due to MOH's 3-year drug procurement contracts. But the deputy health minister did not explain if drug suppliers/ manufacturers can cancel contracts altogether if the ringgit fall is too steep.

25 June 2020

Malaysia

Government Dropping Drug Pool Procurement This Year: Reports

The then-PH government announced during the tabling of Budget 2020 that MOH, the Defence Ministry, and the Education Ministry would engage in pool procurement for half a billion ringgit worth of medicines to generate savings from bulk purchase.

Tag: drug procurement

Malaysia’s Medicine Security At Risk Due To Persian Gulf Conflict

MOH’s Drug Procurement Chaos ‘Ironic’ After Price Transparency, Doctors Say

Drug Procurement Maelstrom In MOH Triggers Industry Discontent

UMMC Epidemiologist Touts Asean Procurement Of ‘Magic Bullet’ Cancer Drugs

Stronger Dollar, US Cost Pressures May Hit Malaysia’s Drug Supply: Pharmaceutical Suppliers

MOH Proposes Jumpstarting Local Pharmaceutical Investments With Three-Year Contracts

Budget 2025: Reforms And Increased Investments Needed In Four Critical Areas Of Health — Azrul Mohd Khalib

MOH Wants ‘Right’ To Review Existing Pharmaceutical Procurement Contracts In ‘Certain’ Situations

Ringgit Fall Won’t Affect Drug Prices With Three-Year Procurement Contracts: Lukanisman

Government Dropping Drug Pool Procurement This Year: Reports

Ampang Hospital’s IT System Down For 33 Hours In First Huge Outage

Report: Treasury Wants RM3b Cut To Health Ministry’s 2026 Budget

Too Many Agencies Involved In Doctor Workforce Pipeline: Health DG

Take Action Against Retail Blood Testing In Pharmacies — FPMPAM

Don’t Blame MOH Alone For Health Workforce Shortages — MMA