DOCTORS CALL ON MINISTRY OF HEALTH TO ENSURE OPEN ENGAGEMENTS ON THE PHARMACY BILL 2015

Joint Press Statement by Doctors Associations on the Pharmacy Bill/RUUF

Posted on March 5, 2015 by palmdoc

http://new.medicine.com.my/2015/03/joint-press-statement-by-doctors-association-on-the-pharmacy-billruuf/

DOCTORS CALL ON MINISTRY OF HEALTH TO ENSURE OPEN ENGAGEMENTS ON THE PHARMACY BILL 2015

We refer to the Minister of Health’s statement “Dispensing Separation Still Under Review’, (Bernama 4.3.2015), following a meeting called by the Pharmaceutical Services Division (PSD), Ministry of Health Malaysia to discuss issues with regards the Pharmacy Bill. The following attending the meeting on behalf of the medical profession:

Malaysian Medical Council (MMC)
Medical Practitioners Coalition of Malaysia (MPCN)
Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia (IMAM)
Pertubuhan Doktor-Doktor Islam Malaysia(PERDIM)
Malaysian Medical Association(MMA)
Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations Malaysia(FPMPAM)
Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia(APHM)

At the very outset of the meeting, the doctors’ request for details of the Bill to be made available for the discussion was denied

In the light of this it would have been impossible to discuss rationally the provisions in the draft Bill that are of concern to the doctors and its impact on patient care. Thus we, the above, representing the medical practitioners of Malaysia had no choice except request that the meeting be terminated in the light of the impasse. The chairman of the meeting concurred and ended the meeting prematurely.

We hereby express our grave concern how such an important Bill, that will affect the duty of care of patients and professional medical practice be allowed to promulgated without due and transparent consultations with all stakeholders including patient care groups, doctors, relevant healthcare professionals and the public.

We are extremely concerned that there will be provisions in this Bill that will:

1: Interfere with continuity of patient care by doctors

2: Interfere the patients’ choice of medications
3: Affect the safety of patients
4: Interfere with patients’ preference on where to obtain medicines
5: Unnecessarily increase cost of medical care
6: Inconvenience patient by impeding access of patients to one-stop care
7: Compel patients to fill prescriptions from limited pharmacies
8. Increase patients’ vulnerability to exploitation by monopolistic and oligopolistic mega-pharmacy groups

We hereby urge the Minister of Health to ensure that all engagements be held in a transparent manner with all stakeholders.

Issued by:

Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations Malaysia
Medical Practitioners Coalition of Malaysia
Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia
Pertubuhan Doktor-Doktor Islam Malaysia(PERDIM)
Academy of Family Practitioners Malaysia

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