{
  "id": 13137878,
  "title": "2027 Budget: Don't leave contract pharmacists behind, govt told",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/2027-budget-dont-leave-contract-pharmacists-behind-govt-told",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-09T14:21:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/10/1551999/2027-budget-dont-leave-contract-pharmacists-behind-govt-told"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Malaysian government's decision to grant permanent positions to over 9,000 contract doctors in the 2027 Budget has sparked a demand for comparable clarity on the future of contract pharmacists, who remain in a state of employment uncertainty. The Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) has emphasized that contract pharmacists should not be sidelined in the pursuit of resolving long-standing job insecurity in the public healthcare sector. MPS President Professor Amrahi Buang applauded the government's announcement but stressed that pharmacists who have dedicated years to public hospitals, health clinics, and other Health Ministry facilities also merit a transparent, equitable, and enduring pathway to permanent employment. He highlighted that a comprehensive solution to the contract healthcare workforce issue cannot be deemed complete unless pharmacists, who encounter similar employment uncertainties, are provided with a clear route forward. Professor Amrahi cautioned that this appeal is not for preferential treatment but rather for fairness, transparency, and due recognition of every healthcare profession that contributes to public healthcare delivery. He lamented that many contract pharmacists continue to grapple with uncertainty regarding permanent appointments, career advancement, and their long-term prospects, despite their pivotal roles in medication management, clinical pharmacy services, medication safety, and antimicrobial stewardship. Amrahi urged the government and the Health Ministry to elucidate their plans for contract pharmacists, encompassing those presently serving, those on reserve lists, and those who have fulfilled their contractual obligations. The society also advocated for a transparent schedule and mechanism for permanent appointments, coupled with meaningful consultations with the profession to ascertain the ministry's long-term pharmacy workforce necessities. While acknowledging that workforce demands and appointment protocols diverge across healthcare professions, Amrahi stressed that this divergence should not perpetuate a state of ambiguity concerning contract pharmacists' futures indefinitely. During the presentation of the 2027 Budget, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim revealed that more than 9,000 contract doctors would be offered permanent positions the following year. This follows the appointment of more than 15,000 contract doctors to permanent roles since 2023, with 4,000 appointments made this year alone. Additionally, Anwar announced an increase in the monthly post-basic incentive for 47,000 paramedics and nurses, from RM100 to RM200. The Health Ministry's budget is set to rise to RM47.7 billion next year, up from RM46.5 billion this year.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: The government's move to offer permanent positions to more than 9,000 contract doctors under the 2027 Budget has prompted calls for similar clarity on the future of contract pharmacists, who continue to face employment uncertainty.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}