In contrast to retailers, doctors make decisions “life and death”

Kuala Lumpur, May 12th – The groups of doctors say that the burden of responsibility for life, strict training and the inability of patients to make well -founded decisions distinguish medical practice from retail.

In response to domestic trade and the costs of the living minister Armizan Mohd Ali, the defense of price control and the anti-profiteering law 2011 (law 723) to apply to the health sector, the doctors pointed out that the doctors indicate that the medical professional population is much more regulated as a retailer.

“Doctors are not traders – we are licensed specialists who ruled the strict laws such as the Medical Act of 1971 (law 50) and the law on private health institutions and services 1998 (law 586), not the trade descriptions Act 2011 (ACT 730). Codeblue.

“We are obliged to maintain patient safety, confidentiality and ethical practice. In contrast to retailers, we wear medical compensation because a single clinical decision can mean life or death.

“Even if a patient wants to buy” flu medicine “at the counter, the answer is no. A proper consultation is required. Above average sales of prescription drugs are prohibited. This is not a trading-es.”

The organization of the Malaysian Muslim doctors (Perdim), the deputy secretary Dr. Only Wahida Ishak described doctors as trained, licensed specialists who have an “duty to protect life and health”.

“In contrast to retailers, we bear the legal and ethical responsibility for every medical decision that we make. We diagnose, manage chronic diseases, treat emergencies and provide both emotional and clinical support,” she told to Codeblue.

“Due to the high risks associated in our practice, we also have to hold medical compensation insurance. Our decisions are not led by sales, but by evidence -based medication and the best interests of the patient.”

Armizan said last Thursday that according to law 723 under the Ministry of Domestic Trade and the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of Housing (KPDN) there were no exceptions. Section 10 of Law 723 enables the minister to issue a mandate for suppliers of goods or services for the prices.

This “price marking” president was used to implement the new price control and the anti-profit order (price marking for medicines) 2025, effectively on May 1, for private health facilities and community pharmacies to display prices for medicine in retail medicine.

The complex work of a doctor works as a one-stop center in GP clinics

Dr. Mior Yusuf Adnan, member of the Perdim Committee, said that doctors are a professional group of people whose professional qualifications are registered by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and which are regulated by the MMC, just as the lawyers are regulated by the Legal Council.

“Doctors offer their health services and not only sell medication such as the pharmacists or even other business dealers,” said Dr. Mior Yusuf opposite Codeblue.

“These type of professional service includes the registration of the patient's personal data records either manually, ie the use of the card system or digital use of a clinic software system that has to be kept in a safe place for about seven years (for an adult) or until the child at the age of 18 (for children).

“This is followed by clinical advice in a consulting room on the privacy and the confidentiality of the patient with the presence of an accompanying person or the parents/supervisor if they are minors (depending on which, which is appropriate).

“This Involves History Taking, Physical Examination (General and Specific to the Presenting Problems); Further Investigations; Listing Down a Problem List; Making A Provisional Or Clinical Diagnosis; Discussing the outcome and Treatment Plan; Prescribing the Appropriatic Medications Or Carrying Out a Clinical Procedures Like Giving Nebulization or Oxygen Therapy for an acute asthmatic patient, for instance;

“All of these are carried out as one-stop center for their patients in clinics (general practitioners) (GP), whereby the patient can visit them with a previous appointment (follow-up case and chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, asthma, etc.).

Doctors study hard for years, CPD required to lead the medical license

Dr. Shanmuganathan described the “long and strict” journey of the doctor, where studying, housemanship and mandatory government service includes years of study.

“The opening of a clinic is not a casual business decision – it is a professional responsibility that is earned by training, victims and regulation. In order to equate this with retail trade, our role in society is strongly wrong.”

The President of the Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia (MPCAM), Dr. Soo Tai Kang, said the main difference between doctors and retailers is that retailers or various businesses are not subject to the “higher standard laws”.

Doctors, on the other hand, are regulated by various places, starting with the accreditation for medical degrees, followed by national licensing and continuous professional development (CPD).

“Medicines of doctors are not simply those who can be bought through the switch, since many still controlled substances that can only be made available to the patient after professional advice. Part of this council is to help the patient Codeblue.

“In addition, general practitioners have to meet CPD's point requirements in order to extend their license annually, which takes place at their own time and expenses. Do healthy business also have such requirements?”

“First of all, we differ from only retailers. We have to go through hard medical studies, complete our training before we receive a permanent registration number, require continuous medical training to acquire our annual professional certificates for practice, and are regulated under MOH according to law.

“It is sad that the KPDN minister does not understand or refuse such principles and facts.”

In patients, the know -how is missing to make one -sidedly “well -founded decisions”

While Armizan emphasized the right of consumers to make “well -founded decisions”, the doctors pointed out that, unlike purchasing for everyday goods, patients simply do not have the special knowledge in order to make decisions in medicine themselves.

Dr. Soo said that medical specialists are of the opinion that they should not be regulated according to Akt 723, since the treatment is not a “simple sales transaction like the selection from a food menu”.

“We have a very strong opinion that price control in clinics does not apply because doctors do not sell, but issue medication” Codeblue.

“The patient cannot be selected by random, since they are not equipped with the knowledge to make a well -founded decision. Recipes are a complex choice in which many factors and expert knowledge are necessary within the service provided by doctors.”

Dr. Soo also pointed out that the prescription of a doctor is liable in accordance with the 1952 (Law 366) Gifts Act.

Dr. Mior Yusuf said that GPS during the treatment plan and the final result of clinical consultations with patients and their caregivers about the preliminary diagnosis, the plan, the red flags sign, the treatment costs and the reason for a transfer or a check visit.

“The patients also receive the choice of treatment, depending on which case is appropriate, where they should be transferred, and even a prescription slip if certain prescribed medication in the GP clinic itself is not available,” he told opposite Codeblue.

“Therefore, general practitioners already practice transparency and respect the patient's autonomy if they are appropriate for every clinical consultation during the last phase.”

He added that the patients already had the right to apply for a detailed settlement of their treatment costs for each GP clinic without a price display.

“There is nothing to hide from you. So why should we have another law/another action to rule our practice, especially if it is carried out by a non -medicine -related ministry?”

Patients should share liability if they insist on the cheapest medication against the doctor's advice

Dr. Shanmuganathan expressed very concerned about the government's news about the price display in order to buy the cheapest medicine.

“The promotion of the comparison of the medical price as a supermarket sale undermines the essence of clinical care. If a patient exists on the cheapest option that corresponds to our advice and suffer damage, the legal liability remains exclusively for the doctor. He asked.

“If the government takes the common decision -making seriously, it must also consider shared liability. Doctors cannot be the sole scapegoats in a system that encourages patients to prioritize the price before proper treatment.”

Similarly, Dr. Wahida to encourage the patients to buy “after the cheapest” undermines the clinical judgment that doctors are trained and emphasize that medicine is not a “goods”.

“If a patient chooses a cheaper but clinically inappropriate option and suffers damage, the doctor still bears full liability. This is not fair,” she said.

“If the price display becomes a law, the government must also consider common liability if patients knowingly reject medical advice, as this has a direct impact on the medical compensation of the doctor. The informed selection must go hand in hand with informed responsibility.”