KUALA LUMPUR: Private clinics will now be required to provide itemised bills which detail consultations and medicine prices, says Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Fuziah Salleh.

It is also now compulsory for doctors to provide prescriptions for every consultation, she added.

“This will allow the patients to make a choice on whether to purchase medicines from the clinics and at other pharmacies,” she said in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

These are part of measures introduced by the National Action Council on Cost of Living (Naccol).

“Clinics cannot compel patients to buy medicine directly from them. Patients must be clearly informed that they have the option to obtain their medication elsewhere,” she added.

Fuziah was responding to a question from Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Syed Abdul Fasal, who had asked about the outcomes of Naccol meetings held this year.

She said that Naccol had convened twice so far this year, along with one meeting of its executive committee. Several key decisions were made, particularly in the areas of healthcare cost transparency and household spending.

On Aug 3, the Health Ministry announced that warning letters may be issued to private clinics and pharmacies that fail to comply with the mandatory medicine price display rule, with compound notices to follow from Oct 1. Full enforcement will begin on Jan 1, 2026.

It was reported that during the initial three-month educational phase, which ended on July 31, a total of 842 premises – private medical and dental clinics, hospitals and community pharmacies – were inspected.

The ministry reported that 57% had satisfactorily complied with the price display requirements.

From Aug 1 to Sept 30, the enforcement phase will continue through education, advocacy and inspections before penalties are imposed.

Meanwhile, on food-related initiatives, Fuziah said the government has doubled the allocation for the Rahmah Sales Programme from RM300mil to RM600mil this year to ease the burden on lower-income groups.

In addition, RM25mil has been allocated to extend the Jualan Agro Madani programme, with affordable food sales to be carried out at strategic locations nationwide.

Fuziah also revealed that the government, through Naccol, has begun developing a Cost of Living Indicator and a Minimum Decent Living Expenditure Index.

“This year, advocacy efforts have started to introduce these indicators as a reference for government policy and decision-making,” she said.

She concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to monitoring living costs and implementing effective measures to ease the financial pressure on Malaysians.

“These are among the key outcomes from the two Naccol meetings and one Executive Committee session held this year,” she said.