Pharmacists need permanent posts too, says group

The Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) has urged the government to address the employment uncertainty faced by contract pharmacists, calling for a clear pathway to permanent appointments. While the 2027 budget has allocated permanent positions for over 9,000 contract doctors, MPS president Amrahi Buang emphasized that contract pharmacists also serve in public health facilities.

Many continue to grapple with the lack of clarity about permanent appointment, career advancement, and their long-term prospects within the public healthcare system. MPS seeks a definitive confirmation from the government regarding its plans for contract pharmacists, including those currently employed, on reserve lists, and those who have fulfilled their contracts.

The organization also seeks a transparent schedule and process for the permanent hiring of qualified pharmacists and meaningful engagement with the profession to determine the health ministry's future pharmacy workforce requirements. MPS supports the government's efforts to strengthen and stabilize the healthcare workforce, but it deems the issue of contract healthcare workers, including pharmacists, incomplete without a clear path forward.

The call is not for preferential treatment but for fairness, transparency, and proper acknowledgment of every healthcare profession contributing to public healthcare delivery.