MPS urges Putrajaya to detail contract pharmacists’ absorption timeline and quota numbers

The Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) has expressed support for the government's initiative to absorb contract pharmacy officers into permanent positions, while urging swift clarity on quotas, eligibility, and implementation timelines.

Following Health Minister Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad's announcement, MPS emphasized the need for transparent criteria, evaluation processes, and a phased appointment plan to prevent talent exodus from the public sector.

The society stressed the importance of integrating these measures into a long-term workforce strategy and pledged collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other agencies, highlighting the critical role of permanent positions in addressing ongoing career uncertainties for young pharmacists.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — The Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) has welcomed the government’s move to recommend contract pharmacy officers for permanent posts, but insists Putrajaya must quickly settle the critical details on quota figures, eligibility rules, and an implementation timeline.

The response follows remarks by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who confirmed on Monday that the Ministry of Health (MOH) will submit a proposal to the Ministry of Finance and the Cabinet to absorb contract pharmacy officers into permanent positions.

He said permanent posts for dental and pharmacy personnel will come from a distinct allocation, separate from the 9,000 permanent medical officer positions unveiled under Budget 2027.

In a statement today, MPS singled out this dedicated quota and the pledge of a reasonable timeframe as encouraging signals for thousands of young officers who continue to staff public hospitals and clinics amid persistent career uncertainty.

Figures from the society show that 3,545 contract pharmacists remained on MOH rosters as of July 2026, while another 115 sat on the reserve list or awaited formal appointment.

“The latest clarification provides an important indication of the Government’s policy direction,” MPS president Prof Ph. Amrahi Buang said in the statement.

“The priority now is to translate this commitment into a clear, transparent and implementable pathway.”

To turn this commitment into reality, the society is seeking urgent clarification on the exact number of permanent positions to be created and when the proposal will reach the Cabinet and the Treasury.

It also wants transparent criteria detailing which cohorts will qualify, whether the 115 candidates on reserve will receive priority placement, and what options remain for those who have already exhausted their contract tenure but still wish to serve in the public healthcare system.

The society also urged authorities to reveal how evaluation panels will weigh clinical experience, seniority, and local staffing needs during the selection process, including whether appointments will be phased.

While MPS acknowledged that opening permanent posts demands seamless coordination between MOH, the Public Services Department, and the Treasury, it warned that prolonged ambiguity risks driving talent out of the public sector.

Beyond immediate absorption, the society also called on Putrajaya to weave these measures into a long-term pharmacy workforce strategy that reflects evolving clinical roles, frontline workload, and talent retention.

MPS pledged to work closely with MOH and central agencies through its Public Pharmacists Chapter, urging regular public updates as the Cabinet paper takes shape.

Contract dentistry faces a parallel challenge. The Malaysian Dental Association recently pressed Putrajaya for equitable treatment following the medical officer intake.

Addressing dental officers whose contracts ended without renewal, Dzulkefly maintained that MOH will keep monitoring their welfare and recognise their public service record.

During the same broadcast, Dzulkefly also expressed hope that the Treasury would clear a RM100 million seed grant to scale up non-communicable disease interventions across primary healthcare clinics nationwide.

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马来西亚药剂师协会 (MPS) 表示支持政府将合同药剂师转为永久职位的举措，同时敦促尽快明确配额、资格和实施时间表。

在卫生部长祖基菲里·艾哈迈德博士宣布之后，MPS强调需要透明的标准、评估程序和分阶段的任命计划，以防止人才从公共部门流失。

该协会强调了将这些措施纳入长期劳动力战略的重要性，并承诺与卫生部和其他机构合作，强调了永久职位在解决年轻药剂师持续存在的职业不确定性方面发挥的关键作用。

吉隆坡，10 月 14 日讯——马来西亚药剂师协会 (MPS) 对政府推荐合同药剂师转为永久职位表示欢迎，但坚持认为布城必须尽快敲定配额数字、资格规则和实施时间表等关键细节。

此前，卫生部长拿督斯里祖基菲里·艾哈迈德博士于周一证实，卫生部将向财政部和内阁提交一份提案，将合同药剂师转为永久职位。

他表示，牙科和药剂师的永久职位将来自单独的拨款，与 2027 年预算案中公布的 9,000 个永久医疗官职位分开。

在今天的一份声明中，伦敦警察厅特别指出，这一专项配额和合理的期限承诺，对于成千上万在持续的职业不确定性中继续在公立医院和诊所工作的年轻警官来说，是一个令人鼓舞的信号。

该协会的数据显示，截至 2026 年 7 月，卫生部名册上仍有 3,545 名合同药剂师，另有 115 名药剂师在候补名单上或等待正式任命。

“最新的澄清为政府的政策方向提供了重要的指示，”MPS主席Ph. Amrahi Buang教授在声明中表示。

“现在的当务之急是将这一承诺转化为清晰、透明且可执行的路径。”

为了将这一承诺变为现实，该协会正在紧急寻求澄清将要创建的永久职位的确切数量，以及该提案何时会提交内阁和财政部。

它还希望制定透明的标准，详细说明哪些群体将符合资格，115 名预备役候选人是否会获得优先安置，以及对于那些已经履行完合同期限但仍希望在公共医疗保健系统服务的人来说，还有哪些选择。

该协会还敦促有关部门公布评估小组在遴选过程中将如何权衡临床经验、资历和当地人员配备需求，包括任命是否会分阶段进行。

虽然 MPS 承认开设永久职位需要卫生部、公共服务部和财政部之间无缝协调，但它警告说，长期的模糊不清可能会导致人才离开公共部门。

除了立即吸收之外，该协会还呼吁布城将这些措施纳入长期药剂师队伍战略，以反映不断变化的临床角色、一线工作量和人才保留。

新加坡药剂师协会承诺通过其公共药剂师分会与卫生部和中央机构密切合作，敦促在内阁文件成形过程中定期向公众通报最新情况。

合同制牙医也面临着类似的挑战。马来西亚牙科协会近期向布城施压，要求在医疗官员招募后给予公平待遇。

祖基菲里向合同到期未续签的牙科医生表示，卫生部将继续关注他们的福利状况，并认可他们的公共服务记录。

在同一次广播中，祖基菲里还表示希望财政部能够批准 1 亿令吉的种子拨款，以扩大全国基层医疗诊所的非传染性疾病干预措施。

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