MOH Assures Stable Supply Of Critical Medications, Including Insulin And Vaccines

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Health (MOH) has assured that the supply of critical medications, including insulin and vaccines, remains stable and sufficient to meet the public’s needs for the time being.

MOH deputy director-general of Health (Pharmaceutical Services) Dr Azuana Ramli said the government is continuously monitoring the situation to ensure medication stocks nationwide stay stable.

"Now we have a task force consisting of ministry officials and industry representatives. We are discussing this issue and monitoring stock levels together," she said during Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme titled National Drug Supply Security.

Dr Azuana explained that under this mechanism, industry partners provide stock level information, allowing the ministry to detect any possible supply disruptions earlier.

"We can see which critical stocks are at risk, such as those with only 60 to 90 days of supply left in the chain. Once we identify the problematic stocks, we can take action," she added.

Regarding insulin supply, Dr. Azuana said diabetes patient treatment remains unaffected, given the wide range of therapies and alternative medications available.

"Even if there is a shortage of insulin, diabetes patients can continue their treatment, as they can switch to insulin analogs or tablet medications," she explained.

"That is why the supply of medications remains stable and under control. There may be some supply chain disruptions, but we will take mitigation steps to ensure patients receive treatment by any means necessary," she added.

Meanwhile, Medical Device Authority (MDA) chief executive officer Dr P Muralitharan said that medical devices in Malaysia remain sufficient and under control for now, despite ongoing conflicts in West Asia.

However, he noted that MDA is monitoring the situation closely, as several categories of devices have begun to experience slight shortages.

“Among the affected devices are in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) products, such as test kits and laboratory reagents. However, the shortage levels are not significant.

“This minor disruption also involves consumables like gloves, face masks, implants, surgical devices and materials for hemodialysis treatment,” he said during an appearance on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme titled SAP: Accelerating Supply to Ensure Safety.

He further explained that the Special Access Pathway (SAP) allows suppliers to gain faster access to medical devices, thereby strengthening the local medical device supply chain.

The SAP is an interim approach that permits the use of devices that have not yet been fully registered, subject to strict quality and safety assessments.

“At the same time, this measure also aims to reduce the nation’s reliance on imported medical devices,” he added.

--BERNAMA