PUTRAJAYA, March 14 — The price display rule for medicines at private clinics and hospitals, effective May 1, is not intended to regulate prices but to provide the public with access to information on available medicines, said Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.

He said displaying the prices would allow the public to compare costs at healthcare premises and plan their medical expenses accordingly.

“The mechanism for displaying medicine prices aligns with universal consumer rights, which include the right to information and the right to choose.

“I want to emphasise that this rule is solely about displaying prices so that the public has access to information on medicine prices, allowing them to make informed choices. It is not being implemented to control medicine prices,” he told reporters after launching the 2025 Consumer NGO Day here today.

Armizan said the Medicine Price Transparency Mechanism (MKHU) was tabled at the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL) meeting on Oct 3, 2023.

This was followed by the tabling of a Cabinet memorandum on Jan 8, which led to Cabinet approval of the mechanism.

“Alhamdulillah, the Cabinet has approved the memorandum, and a rule will be issued under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act (AKHAP) 2011. The rule will require healthcare facilities to display medicine prices on their premises,” he said.

He added that the enforcement of medicine price display would be implemented under a rule made pursuant to the Act. — Bernama