New plan has private GPs fearing the worst

Malaysia's new healthcare plans are going to inconvenience private medical practitioners.

PETALING JAYA: Sources have revealed that Malaysia is about to pass a law which would lead to a significant change in the private healthcare industry.

The legislation’s main provision involved the controversial removal of dispensing rights from doctors, thus awarding pharmacists the sole right to dispense medication.

At present, doctors were carrying out the duties of both professions by prescribing and dispensing medication and this was not the standard practice in most developed nations.

The Health Ministry, according to reliable sources, wants to adopt the same approach for private healthcare here.

However, one private doctor thinks that our current healthcare system does not permit such a change.

“They do not understand that what might work for other countries… might not work for us… given the situation of our private healthcare system,” he said.

He pointed out that the majority of general practitioners (GP) make most of their income from the sales of medication, although many would not admit.

“These developed nations have national bodies which pay private doctors extremely well but here doctors have to rely on the sale of the medication they dispense to make ends meet,” he said.

Another private GP from Mont Kiara, who also refused to be named, felt that such a move would only trigger higher consultation fees and was not all bad news for doctors.

“The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has a schedule of fees which stipulates that there is a minimum amount in consultation fees to be charged to patients… but many doctors do not practice this,” she said.

She was implying that when the law fell into place, doctors would be more than happy to charge patients the minimum RM35 consultation fees for minor ailments as they too would need to generate a steady income.

The MMA’s schedule of fees also states that for visits after 5pm, an additional 50% is to be charged, thus confirming the GP’s statement that doctors would be in for a hefty monetary windfall.

Due to the cloudy situation regarding the exact details of the law, all sources either declined to comment or be named as the issue was sensitive and involved many parties.