KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — Consumer groups are worried that the dispensing separation system starting on April 1 will create problems for the public on various fronts.

This includes the risk of spending more money and taking medication without a doctor’s prescription.

“The present system should be maintained,” said Muslim Consumer Association of Malaysia chief activist Datuk Nadzim Johan.

He said consumers would be charged twice under the new system, once for doctor’s consultation fees and subsequently for medicine from the pharmacy.

“This could be hard on the consumer as doctors may be tempted to raise their fees as they cannot sell medicine anymore,” he said. 

He said the new system may be “money-motivated” and he did not see any benefits from it, warning that doctors may be rendered redundant in the long run.

“This is an agenda to monopolise the medical industry and pave the way for big businesses to dominate the market,” he said.

It had been reported that in the dispensing separation scheme, only pharmacies will be allowed to dispense prescription drugs, something previously done in clinics. This system mirrors the national healthcare service of developed nations such as the US and UK.

Under this system, patients will have to consult doctors who will prescribe them the medicine needed, and then an external pharmacy will dispense the medicine.

Malaysia Consumers Movement president Darshan Singh Dhillon said the current arrangement was effective and should be maintained, raising concerns on emergency situations should the new scheme be implemented. 

“In emergency situations, we can visit 24-hour clinics. With pharmacies given the dispensation rights, where will we get our medicine then?” he asked.

Darshan also said patients may want to save on consultation fees and go directly to the pharmacist, which would render doctors redundant.

“Currently, we have an oversupply of doctors, but a shortage of pharmacists. This will invite sub-standard service and questionable practices.”

Malaysian Consumers Association secretary-general Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill said the implementation “could not have come at a worse time”.

“We are not ready for a drastic change in the system as we are so used to the current way of doing things,” he said.

He said consumers would also be inconvenienced as they would have  to travel from one place to another.

More consumers will choose to go to hospitals because they had in-house pharmacies.

“It is a good system that is meant to check medical practices, but this is not the right time, given the current economic system and with GST around the corner,” Amarjit said.

“Maybe 10 years from now, we will be ready, but even then it is not without flaws. If a developed country like UK still has problems with a similar system, where would that leave us?”