A pharmacists’ group has urged the government to allocate funds under Budget 2026, to be tabled today, for a medicine stock fund to tackle the ongoing shortage of medication.
The Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) said that “stok habis” or “out of stock” should not be the norm, stressing the need for stronger availability of medication and supply resilience.
It proposed a medicine availability and shortage transparency fund to maintain buffer stocks, create a public shortage dashboard with early warning indicators, and enable a rapid response when “red flags” appear.
MPS said the budget should also support mandatory shortage reporting by marketing authorisation holders and wholesalers, agile procurement for substitutions, and clear patient communication when switches are clinically necessary.
“In parallel, (these) incentives should strengthen local pharmaceutical production and support local industry production, innovation and research, and the appropriate uptake of quality generics so that access improves while out-of-pocket costs remain manageable,” the society said in a statement.
MPS also expressed hope that the budget would establish a price transparency enablement grant to help facilities implement a visible price list covering essential equipment such as display boards, holders and tablets, standardised templates, translation needs, and protected staff time to set up and maintain the lists.
The group suggested the uniform application of the grant across private clinics and community pharmacies, allowing families to compare and plan their spending regardless of entry point.
“It (the grant) should be paired with itemised billing, with e-receipts issued by default so that each consultation, test and medicine is clearly listed, resolving long-standing confusion about ‘what exactly am I paying for?’,” it said.
MPS said the budget should also allocate sufficient resources for community-based screening, adherence support, antimicrobial-resistance counselling, and tobacco and vape cessation.
It said these services would be delivered across primary care with explicit pathways through community pharmacies for accessibility after hours and on weekends.
The group expressed hope that the allocation for the healthcare sector would be increased to RM55 billion this time around, “as a credible step on a multi-year path to a stronger, patient-visible service”.
The health ministry was allocated RM45.27 billion in the 2025 federal budget, a 9.8% increase from the RM41.22 billion allocated in 2024.
