Separation of dispensing and prescribing in Malaysia: will the time come?

In Malaysia, both prescribing and dispensing rights still lie with private general practitioners (GPs) in private clinics. Concerns have arisen with this model, due to potential conflicts of interest, as GPs profit from the prescribing and sale of prescription medicines. This may well lead to unnecessary as well as over-prescribing. The idea of dispensing separation is not new and has been discussed for many years with strong objections from various organisations, including the medical associations. More recently, there has been increasing discussions on this topic and many arguments still remain around reduced convenience and increased costs to consumers and an insufficient pharmacist workforce.