PETALING JAYA: The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations, Malaysia (FPMPAM) says mandatory price displays for medications at general practitioners (GPs) won't reduce healthcare costs.
Dr Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson, FPMPAM president, said the policy, set for enforcement on May 1, might increase medication prices, disrupt patient care, and undermine private primary healthcare.
"GP clinics offer cost-effective, one-stop healthcare that benefits both patients and the economy," he said.
Dr Shanmuganathan added that a single GP clinic can efficiently serve thousands of patients, providing affordable, accessible medical care.
He cited a Ministry of Health study from 1986 showing private GP consultations cost RM28 per patient, much lower than government clinics at RM56 per patient.
"Even now, GP services are the most cost-efficient way for Malaysians to receive timely, professional medical care," he said.
"GPs are not price manipulators. We prescribe based on medical necessity, affordability, and patient welfare, unlike commercial entities focused purely on profits," he added.
Dr Shanmuganathan said mandatory price display rules are unnecessary and counterproductive, claiming they won't reduce medical costs.
He said such enforcement would increase bureaucracy and administrative burdens, distracting GPs from patient care.
"Another issue is conflicting legal frameworks, like dual regulation under both the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act (AKHAP 2011) and the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act (PHFSA 1998), leading to legal uncertainty and enforcement overreach," he said.
"It will also create backdoor dispensing separation, pressuring patients to buy medications from pharmacies instead of receiving them conveniently at GP clinics, leading to higher medication costs, fragmented care, and potential treatment delays," he added.
FPMPAM also rejects linking the long-overdue GP fee correction to price display regulations.
Dr Shanmuganathan said GPs have endured over 30 years of stagnant fees.
"This overdue revision should not be held hostage in a trade-off that weakens our ability to provide affordable, efficient care," he said.
He added that reports suggesting GPs agreed to price display rules are untrue, saying the GP community consistently opposes this measure and challenges the ministry to provide evidence of any genuine agreement.
Dr Shanmuganathan called for an immediate halt to this regulation's enforcement, readying the group for legal action to defend the PHFSA 1998 as the governing framework for medical practice.
"Doctors are not retailers, and our services should not be equated with commercial sales of pharmaceuticals," he said.
"We will mobilise a nationwide action. If the ministry imposes anti-GP policies, private practitioners will take collective and decisive measures to defend primary healthcare sustainability," he added.
On Friday (March 14), Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad announced the requirement for private clinics to display medicine prices starting May 1. The move aims to enable patients to make informed treatment decisions.
The initiative would also encourage competitive market forces, indirectly helping reduce medical inflation.
After discussions with GPs, Dzulkefly said clinics would be ready for the price display requirement if Schedule 7 consultation fees are revised.
