Preliminary audit clears Health Ministry's free meds programme

A preliminary federal audit has cleared a patient assistance scheme that provided costly new drugs by pharmaceutical companies to the public for free.

According to the Malay Mail, an initial clearance was given amid the Health Ministry's concerns of integrity issues over a programme dubbed the Patient Access scheme (PASc) that offered new medications not yet available in public hospitals for free to patients with cancer and rare diseases.

"Based on the contract that we have reviewed, we have not found any unethical practices," said Auditor-General Madinah Mohamad as quoted by Malay Mail.

"However, this is a preliminary finding. We need to do a full audit," she said.

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad reportedly declined comment when asked if PASc was restored.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said last August that the ministry has suspended the PASc programme pending feedback from the National Audit Department.

Noor Hisham said at the time that one of the PASc schemes offered by pharmaceutical companies, which involved giving out free drugs upon the government’s purchase of other medicines, could be a possible ethical violation.

He said this was as the free drugs were not specifically detailed in the purchasing records between pharmaceutical companies and Health Ministry's facilities.

Responding to the suspension, concerns were reportedly raised over its potential impact to patients suffering from cancer and rare diseases.

The Malay Mail report also cited statistics from the Pharmaceutical Association of Malaysia that more 12,000 patients from 2013 to 2016 had benefited from free drugs offered by 10 of its member companies. - Mkini

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