PETALING JAYA: Patients at Health Ministry (MOH) facilities will have their allergies and details of the medications listed out in their prescriptions soon.
The medication details will include dosage form, name, dose, frequency, duration and quantity supplied.
A new prescription format that will be introduced soon will have more comprehensive information.
In a recent circular sighted by The Star, the ministry said it had reviewed the existing prescription format and found it fell short of requirements under the relevant laws and regulations.
“There is no medication safety element, particularly the patient’s drug allergy status. Practices for handling inpatient prescriptions are not standardised across our healthcare facilities,” MOH director-general Datuk Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab said.
He added that the new directive was aimed at streamlining and standardising the prescription format across all ministry health facilities in line with the laws and regulations currently in force.
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“There is a need to ensure that the patient and prescriber or the facility’s complete details are recorded on prescriptions, in accordance with Section 21 (2) of the Poisons Act 1952, Regulation 11 (2) of the Poisons (Psychotropic Substances) Regulations 1989 and Regulation 11 (2) of the Dangerous Drugs Regulations 1952,” he said.
The new directive applies to both manual prescriptions and facilities using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems.
Under the existing format, prescription slips only require the patient name, MyKad number, age, date and illness.
The new format will include full name, age, MyKad number, weight, sex, contact details, diagnosis, drug allergies, citizenship status and medication details.
A prescription is a written instruction issued by a registered medical or dental practitioner, specifying the method, dosage and duration of medication to ensure patients receive the appropriate treatment.
The medicines are then dispensed by pharmacists according to the prescription issued.
The circular comes into force on Jan 1, 2027 but could be enforced earlier if healthcare facilities exhaust their existing prescription stock, he said.
“To avoid wastage, health facilities under the ministry, may continue utilising any remaining stock of existing prescriptions, after the effective date.
“However, the printing and procurement of the new prescription format must be planned and carried out progressively in line with this circular,” he said.
