KUCHING, April 20 -- The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) has called on the government to form an independent review panel to craft appropriate mechanisms for pricing transparency in healthcare.

In a statement, its president Dr Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson stated that medicines are not retail goods but regulated substances under the Poisons Act 1952, prescribed by licensed professionals based on clinical need, patient safety and therapeutic context.

"Medicines are not selected from shelves by consumers based on price tags. If the general public occasionally fails to grasp the distinction between buying a product and receiving a medical prescription, that is understandable.

"But when a senior mini...