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

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