Order for mandatory disclosure of drug prices in force
On 1 May 2025, the Price Control and Anti Profiteering (Price Marking for Drug) Order 2005 (“Order”) came into effect. It was issued by the Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living of 乐鱼体育官网 on 30 April 2025 pursuant to the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.
The Order applies to:
- all community pharmacies, that is, any premises that is involved in the retail sale of drugs with at least one pharmacist who holds a Type A licence under the Poisons Act 1952. A Type A licence is issued to a pharmacist to import, store, and deal all poisons by wholesale and/or retail; and
- all private healthcare facilities, that is, any private premises providing healthcare services or health-related services such as a private hospital, medical clinic, or dental clinic.
This article discusses the requirements under the Order.
Requirement to mark drug prices?
All private healthcare facilities or community pharmacies that supply or offer to supply any drugs, including drugs used by humans and for human use, must adhere to the following requirements:
- Drugs that are on display for sale and accessible by or visible to customers, such as over-the-counter drugs, must bear a label, tag, or price tag on the drug itself or the bag or receptacle containing the drug; and
- Where drugs are not on display for sale and not accessible by or visible to customers, the following information must be provided: generic name or the active ingredient of the drug, the trade name of the drug and its retail price per unit, weight or measure of the drug (“List”). The List must be maintained and displayed in a format suitable for the needs of the facility or community pharmacy..
The labels, tags, price tags, and the List as described above should be:
- in the Malay or English languages;
- in a conspicuous position;
- be in Ringgit and sen.
Penalties
Non-compliance with the Order attracts a fine of up to RM50,000. Body corporates that do not comply with the Order will be liable to a fine not exceeding RM100,000.
On 2 May 2025, the Deputy Director-General (Pharmaceutical Services) of the Ministry of Health announced a three-month grace period to facilitate compliance during which no fines will be issued. The Government will also seek stakeholder feedback and update the accordingly to address areas for improvement.
The Order is available .
Further information
This article has been prepared with the assistance of Associates Siah An Gel, Mohamad Syafiq bin Mohamad Tazri and Kimberly Lim Ming Ying.
