KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has called on the Health Ministry and Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry to issue clear and consistent instructions to enforcement officers nationwide about the display of medicine prices.
MMA president Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo said the High Court has granted a stay on the enforcement of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Price Marking for Drug) Order 2025 against private healthcare facilities, pending the disposal of the judicial review.
"The government did not appeal against the stay order. Therefore, the stay remains in force.
"There is also no compound, prosecution or other enforcement action should be taken against private medical or dental practitioners for non-compliance with this order while the court proceedings are ongoing," he said in a statement on Sunday (Aug 2).
He said MMA has received reports of enforcement officers visiting private clinics and dental clinics in several states and requesting medicine price lists.
While the authorities are not prevented from carrying out their lawful duties under other legislation, Dr Thirunavukarasu said inspections should not be used to enforce the medicine price display order, directly or indirectly.
He called on both ministries to issue clear and consistent instructions to enforcement officers nationwide as private practitioners should not be subjected to unnecessary confusion or anxiety because of differing interpretations at state level.
He advised practitioners to cooperate professionally with lawful inspections and urged them to document and report any threatened compound or enforcement action specifically related to the medicine price display order to MMA immediately.
"The substantive judicial review remains before the High Court and the legal process must be respected," he added.
On May 21, the High Court granted a stay on the enforcement of the government's directive requiring the display of medicine prices pending the disposal of a judicial review filed by associations representing private medical practitioners.
Justice Alice Loke Yee Ching made the order on grounds that the status quo must be preserved until the judicial review is decided, saying the effects would be "irreparable" if a stay was not granted.
