Malaysian govt subsidizing cost of medicines

The government of Malaysia is subsidizing the cost of medicines by about300 million ringgit ($78.9 million) annually, according to Deputy Health Minister Suleiman Mohamed, who added at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur that this has enabled the nation's low-income groups to buy prescription drugs and medical supplies at low prices.

Dr Suleiman said the prices of prescribed drugs on the Malaysian market are monitored by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, reports the Marketletter's local correspondent, who adds that the Minister's comments followed a report that international drug companies planned to increase the prices of imported drugs some 10%-20%.