KUALA LUMPUR: Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad revealed that the Health Ministry had spent RM23.25 billion on medicines from 2015 to 2023.
He said that spending on medicines increased by 30 per cent, from RM2.3 billion in 2015 to over RM3 billion in 2023.
This rise, he said, was due to higher medicine prices, a growing patient population, and the introduction of new, more expensive patented drugs.
"The increase in spending aligns with the rising cost of medicines, more patients, and the introduction of new treatments," he told the Dewan Rakyat in response to a question from Azli Yusof (PH-Shah Alam) regarding government spending on medicines for public hospitals and clinics.
Dzulkefly also said that the ministry expected expenditure to continue rising to meet the needs of government health facilities.
In line with Malaysia's National Medicine Policy (DUNas), he highlighted various strategies to ensure medicine security, including promoting local manufacturing and improving supply chain transparency through a track-and-trace system.
He also addressed the recent shortage of human insulin, acknowledging a disruption in supply due to Biocon, a foreign partner, failing to deliver the medication.
Dzulkefly assured the public that the ministry would not award exclusive contracts for vital medicines, like insulin, to a single company moving forward.
"We will not allow one company to dominate the supply of essential medicines, especially in cases like insulin, to avoid future shortages," he said in response to a follow-up question from Datuk Dr Alias Razak (PN-Kuala Nerus).