KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will bear all delivery costs for its Medicines By Post (UMP) service for three months until June 30.
Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this was to help ease the burden of patients who required follow-up medication.
“Prior to this, patients would need to pay between RM5.30 and RM10.60 depending on weight and delivery zone,” he said in a statement today.
The total cost for this initiative, he said, was about RM638,000.
Dr Noor Hisham said medication that could be sent through the UMP service were tablets and capsules.
“For liquid medication and others that need specific storage such as insulin - which needs to be kept in temperatures between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius - it is recommended that patients use other Value Added Services (VAS).”
Among other VAS facilities include drive-thru pharmacies, Locker4U medical lockers, and pharmacy appointment systems such as Telephone Take N Go or SMS Take N Go.
He advised patients who needed follow-up medications to use VAS to ensure continued adherence to treatment while practicing social distancing.
“The Health Ministry views seriously the importance of treatment adherence.
“Patients are encouraged to use the UMP supply service, which sends medication directly to a patient’s home without them going to hospital or a Klinik Kesihatan,” he added.
For more information on medication, the public can contact the National Pharmacy Call Centre at 1-800-88-6722 from Mondays to Fridays, from 8am to 5pm, except on public holidays.