Pharmacists upset over decision not to include them in health reform talks
HURIN EIN02 Sep 2022 09:36pm
Malaysian Pharmacists Society logo (left) and President Amrahi Buang (right) - Photo from MPS's official website
Its president Amrahi Buang said the council output will not be holistic, comprehensive and inclusive if it excludes them.
Calling the move the "antithesis towards advancing healthcare in Malaysia", he said pharmacists are major contributors to both the public and private health care sectors.
“From the preliminary steps of medicine development, right to the final steps of post-marketing surveillance of drug safety, pharmacists are valuable, trusted and needed players in the healthcare industry,” he said.
He further said pharmacists played a very decisive role in health care matters such as research and development of drugs, quality control, monitoring import and registration of pharmaceutical products, advocating medication safety and health policies, patient education, among others.
“In fact, from a patient's perspective, a huge chunk of their health care expenditure is on medicines.
“Therefore, for the HWP to gain bipartisan support, medicine experts including pharmacists must be invited to the table,” he affirmed.
On August 30, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced the formation of an advisory council to develop the Health White Paper (HWP) for health care reform.
The 13-member Health White Paper Advisory Council, formally set up last August 10, was co-chaired by former health minister Dr S. Subramaniam and Axiata Group chairman Shahril Ridza Ridzuan, who was previously the managing director of sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad.
However, Amhari added in July, the MPS conducted a pharmacy stakeholder meeting to discuss the HWP and the role that pharmacists could play, participated by the private and public health sectors pharmacists, the industry and the health ministry (KKM).
From the meeting, he said five reforms were identified and submitted to the ministry.
The reforms were to provide:
* equitable access and continuity of care
* new care models with emphasis on prevention, primary care and community empowerment.
* sustainable healthcare funding and strategic purchasing.
* improvements in systemic structure
* establish autonomous bodies to monitor reforms.
Amrahi also added that the work of pharmacists was not limited to hospital settings as pharmacists are needed in other settings like community pharmacies, academia, clinical research centres, regulatory agencies and more.
Although he said MPS were very grateful for Health Minister Khairy Jamaludin’s progressive thinking on planning the HWP, he also affirmed that the ministry should be true to its word by ensuring the HWP is holistic, comprehensive and inclusive as assured in their media statement.
The MPS is the national association for pharmacists formed on Nov 6, 1967 to promote and maintain the honour and interests of the profession in the country.
