The Malaysian Insight

MALAYSIANS can expect to pay more for over the counter medication as the global supply chain disruption pushes prices up, said Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) president Amrahi Buang.

He said prices are expected to rise by 5% or more.

“I am not able to say (exactly how much), but maybe in the region of 5% and above,” Amrahi told The Malaysian Insight.

“This is something we have anticipated as the ringgit is not strong. We also still have to import the products, be it active ingredients, excipients or packaging. 

The global supply chain has been disrupted first by the pandemic and then by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

“The shortage will continue, but it is happening in pockets, it is not a national problem,” he said.

“It depends on inadequacy of supply, locality and where the concentration of patients are.”

Drugs for Covid-19, influenza, influenza-like illnesses and hand foot and mouth disease are most commonly in shortage, he said.

“It’s the same type of medication – antipyretics for fever, analgesics for pain, cough mixtures, antihistamine and antibiotics in some cases.”

The shortage is expected to continue until the end of the year, he added.

In July, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government will release the federal medicine stockpile to private hospitals and clinics in view of shortages.

He attributed the shortage to a combination of a rise in cases of the common flu and influenza-like illnesses after the pandemic restrictions were lifted, and diminished medicine imports from China because of its own Covid-19 lockdown.

He said the drug in short supply were mostly involved antibiotics, paediatric medications, cough syrups and medicines for food poisoning, fever and flu. – September 3, 2022.