The Reality of Medicine Prices in Malaysia (Penerbit USM)

Book excerpt: Medicines are considered essential public health commodities; perhaps the reason to control medicine prices in majority of the countries. However, Malaysia chooses not to do so and for years Malaysia health authorities and pharmaceutical companies have argued that the medicine prices are reasonable in the country and in many cases the lowest in the region. Nevertheless, for decades, no empirical evidence was available to support these claims. The present book fills this gap and offers an interesting and powerful analysis of the tale of tantalizingly high medicine prices, players in the pharmaceutical market, profit margins of pharmaceutical companies as well as the mark-ups of pharmacists and doctors. The book narrates the result of Malaysia’s free market policies on medicines-all faces are exposed and all tactics are uncovered.