PUTRAJAYA: Generic medicines formed a major component of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) pharmaceutical expenditure in 2025, with procurement valued at RM3.01 billion (77.88 per cent), involving 3,170 (79.61 per cent) of the 3,982 types of medicines purchased.
The MOH said that based on its procurement records for 2025, a total of RM3.86 billion was spent on medicines through the government's three procurement methods, namely the MOH Medical Supply Logistics Service Concession, Central Contracts and Direct Purchase by MOH healthcare facilities nationwide.
“Expenditure on innovator medicines amounted to RM0.85 billion (22.12 per cent). The proportion of generic medicine procurement has also shown an upward trend, increasing from 54.22 per cent in 2021 to 77.88 per cent in 2025, in line with the National Medicines Policy (DUNas), which prioritises the use of generic medicines,” it said in a statement today.
The statement was issued in response to a media report citing an analysis shared by Pharmaniaga Bhd, which claimed that the government spent more on procuring innovator medicines than generic medicines in 2025.
The MOH explained that there was a difference between the reported findings and the MOH’s official records, possibly due to differences in data sources and the scope of procurement used in the analysis.
The RM3.495 billion figure reported by Pharmaniaga generally refers to two data sources, namely IQVIA, a commercial database that provides information and analysis related to the pharmaceutical market, and Pharmaniaga’s own internal analysis.
At the same time, MOH remains committed to supporting the development of the local pharmaceutical industry as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s medicine supply security.
“This commitment is reflected in the value of locally manufactured generic medicine procurement, which increased from RM1.14 billion (44.21 per cent) in 2023 to RM1.49 billion (49.57 per cent) in 2025," it said.
To avoid any confusion regarding the ministry’s medicine procurement, the MOH reminds all parties to check and ensure the accuracy of the data, information sources and scope of analysis before making any public statements or conclusions.
MOH always prioritises the procurement of quality, safe and effective medicines, while ensuring prudent and sustainable management of public resources.
It aso said that it would continue to strengthen the policy of medicine procurement based on clinical needs and guaranteeing continuity of supply, thus ensuring equitable access to quality medicines for all Malaysians.
