PUTRAJAYA, May 2 — All private clinics, hospitals, and community pharmacies have a three-month grace period to display the price of medicines sold before the government imposes penalties.

The new policy which took effect yesterday affects all medicine, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, traditional remedies, as well as health supplements.

Deputy Director-General of Health (Pharmaceutical Services) Dr Azuana Ramli told a news conference here that no punitive action will be taken during this time as the ministry is focusing on promoting transparency and empowering consumers.

“This is a learning phase for both parties, where we will observe how the implementation is being carried out in practice. During these three months, we do not plan to impose any penalties yet.

“That’s why we’re calling this an educational phase and grace period. The fines, notices, and other actions will not be implemented at this stage. It will purely be about advocacy and learning,” she said in the joint news conference with the Domestic Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.

She said that at the end of the grace period, MoH will conduct an internal review and assessment whether to extend the grace period or proceed with stricter enforcement measures.

Asked about the potential regulation of medicine prices, Dr Azuana said the MoH currently has no plans to introduce price controls, citing the need for comprehensive stakeholder engagement and further studies.

“While there have been discussions about regulating medicine prices in the past, it is not currently a priority for the health ministry,” she said.

The ultimate goal of the policy, she said, is to ensure that consumers can make informed decisions by comparing medication prices across healthcare providers — an effort to curb hidden costs and improve access to affordable treatment.

The mandatory medicine price display is part of the government’s broader policy to widen price transparency and enhance consumer rights and accountability in the healthcare sector.