No more RM12.50 medicine delivery fee, but for rural Sabah patients, the bigger savings may be the journey

Sabah patients using the Ubat Melalui Pos service no longer face delivery charges, saving them from costs previously higher than in Peninsular Malaysia.

The free delivery initiative, effective October 1, benefits 87,000 registered patients nationwide, particularly helping those in rural areas.

The service aims to reduce travel and expense burdens on patients while ensuring continuity of treatment through deliveries to preferred locations.

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 3 — Sabah patients using the Ubat Melalui Pos (UMP) service no longer have to pay the RM12.50 delivery charge from October 1 removing a cost that was more than twice the RM5.70 previously charged in Peninsular Malaysia.

Particularly meaningful in Sabah, where patients from rural and interior areas have to travel considerable distances simply to collect repeat medication from hospitals or health clinics.

About 87,000 registered UMP patients nationwide are expected to benefit from the free delivery initiative.

Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said the Government would bear the delivery cost beginning October 1, with an initial RM5 million allocation considered through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

The free delivery initiative took effect on October 1 and is aimed at ensuring patients in all states can benefit from the service.

Previously, patients had to bear the delivery cost, which was RM5.70 in Peninsular Malaysia and RM12.50 in Sabah and Sarawak.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the initiative was particularly relevant to people in rural areas, who often have to travel long distances to health facilities merely to collect their medicines.

Besides reducing patients’ expenses and travelling time, he said the medicine delivery service could help ensure continuity of treatment and reduce congestion at government health facilities.

Under UMP, eligible patients can have their repeat medication delivered to a preferred location instead of returning to a pharmacy counter for every supply.

The service forms part of the Ministry of Health’s efforts to provide more patient-centred healthcare, particularly for elderly patients, working people and others who may face difficulties travelling repeatedly to health facilities.

UMP has been implemented in cooperation with Pos Malaysia since 2011. In Sabah, the service is already available at several Ministry of Health facilities.

The current MyUBAT directory lists UMP among the services available at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, Hospital Ranau, Hospital Semporna, Hospital Sipitang, Hospital Tambunan and Hospital Tawau.

This means patients receiving eligible repeat prescriptions from participating facilities may be able to obtain subsequent supplies without making another trip solely to collect their medication.

For rural patients in Sabah, the savings could extend beyond the RM12.50 delivery charge, particularly where a hospital visit involves fuel costs, public transport fares, time away from work or assistance from family members.

However, access in Sabah’s most remote settlements may still depend on delivery coverage available at the patient’s address.

For example, Queen Elizabeth II Hospital’s pharmacy operating policy states that addresses for UMP delivery must fall within Pos Laju’s coverage area.

The policy also states that psychotropic or dangerous drugs, extemporaneous preparations and medicines requiring special storage cannot be supplied through the service.

Further clarification is being sought on the number of Sabah patients currently using UMP, how many are expected to benefit from the free delivery initiative and the extent to which the service reaches remote and interior villages.

Patients can manage repeat medicine supplies through MyUBAT, which enables participating Ministry of Health facilities to provide services including medicine-by-post.

The Government has also reminded patients to use official channels rather than social media accounts when registering for UMP services. — Daily Express

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沙巴患者使用 Ubat Melalui Pos 服务不再需要支付运费，从而节省了之前比马来西亚半岛更高的费用。

这项免费送货上门计划于 10 月 1 日生效，惠及全国 87,000 名注册患者，尤其帮助了农村地区的患者。

该服务旨在减轻患者的出行和费用负担，同时通过将药品送至患者首选地点来确保治疗的连续性。

哥打基纳巴卢，10 月 3 日讯——从 10 月 1 日起，沙巴州使用 Ubat Melalui Pos (UMP) 服务的患者不再需要支付 12.50 令吉的送货费，该费用是此前在马来西亚半岛收取的 5.70 令吉的两倍多。

这在沙巴州尤其具有意义，因为来自农村和内陆地区的患者不得不长途跋涉才能从医院或诊所领取重复处方药。

预计全国约有 87,000 名注册的 UMP 患者将受益于这项免费送货计划。

通讯部长拿督斯里法米·法兹尔表示，政府将从10月1日起承担交付费用，马来西亚通讯及多媒体委员会（MCMC）将考虑初步拨款500万令吉。

免费送货上门服务于10月1日生效，旨在确保所有州的患者都能享受到这项服务。

以前，患者必须承担分娩费用，马来西亚半岛为 5.70 令吉，沙巴和砂拉越为 12.50 令吉。

卫生部长拿督斯里祖基菲里·艾哈迈德表示，这项举措对农村地区的人们尤其重要，他们经常需要长途跋涉到医疗机构才能领取药品。

他还表示，除了减少患者的开支和出行时间外，送药服务还可以帮助确保治疗的连续性，并减少政府医疗机构的拥堵情况。

根据 UMP 政策，符合条件的患者可以将重复用药送到自己选择的地点，而无需每次都返回药房柜台取药。

该服务是卫生部为提供以患者为中心的医疗保健而采取的举措之一，尤其针对老年患者、上班族以及其他可能面临反复前往医疗机构就医困难的人群。

UMP 自 2011 年起与马来西亚邮政合作实施。在沙巴州，卫生部的多个机构已经提供这项服务。

目前的 MyUBAT 目录将 UMP 列为伊丽莎白女王医院、伊丽莎白女王二世医院、拉瑙医院、仙本那医院、西必丹医院、淡布南医院和斗湖医院提供的服务之一。

这意味着，从参与机构获得符合条件的重复处方的患者，无需再次前往取药机构即可获得后续的药品供应。

对于沙巴州的农村患者来说，节省的费用可能不仅仅包括 12.50 令吉的送货费，尤其是在去医院就诊涉及燃料费、公共交通费、耽误工作时间或家人帮助的情况下。

然而，在沙巴最偏远的居民点，能否获得医疗服务可能仍然取决于患者住所的配送覆盖范围。

例如，伊丽莎白女王二世医院的药房运营政策规定，UMP 的送货地址必须在 Pos Laju 的覆盖范围内。

该政策还规定，精神药物或危险药物、临时配制的药品以及需要特殊储存的药品不能通过该服务提供。

目前正在进一步了解沙巴州有多少患者正在使用 UMP，预计有多少人将受益于免费送货计划，以及该服务覆盖偏远和内陆村庄的程度。

患者可以通过 MyUBAT 管理重复用药，该平台使参与的卫生部机构能够提供包括邮寄药品在内的服务。

政府还提醒患者，在注册 UMP 服务时，应使用官方渠道而非社交媒体账号。——《每日快报》

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