Power of 1 Malaysian Ringgit: A Low-Cost Prescription Cost-Sharing Model in Malaysia

Abstract

Objectives: To calculate the total revenue under a hypothetical 1 Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) prescription cost sharing model in government healthcare facilities in Pahang, Malaysia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at outpatient pharmacy in all government healthcare facilities in Pahang from year 2013 to 2017. Each dispensed medication was calculated as 1 MYR and contributed to the total revenue.Results: A total of 11 hospitals and 81 health clinics were recruited into the study. A hospital could generate 0.311 million MYR per year, and a district health department could generate 0.623 million MYR per year, giving a total of 10.268 million MYR revenue every year in Pahang, Malaysia. Under the prescription medicines cost sharing scheme, it was shown that an average of 9.4% of the total pharmaceutical spending could be recovered. The recovery percentage was approximately fourfold higher in health clinics (16.5%-21.7%) when compared with that in hospitals (4.3%-5.2%). Conclusion:An estimated 10 million MYR or 10% from the total Ministry of Health pharmaceutical spending could be collected under the proposed 1 MYR prescription cost sharing model.