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Malaysia's public healthcare system is well-prepared for potential medicine shortages, thanks to a substantial stockpile
Pharmaniaga Bhd announced on 19 May that the country holds a collective six-month buffer stock of pharmaceutical products.
According to The Edge Malaysia, this safety net is divided equally among the company, its suppliers, and government hospitals.
Managing director Datuk Zulkifli Jafar shared the reassurance during a press conference following the company's extraordinary general meeting.
"As far as sufficient supply is concerned, we have sufficient supply of pharmaceutical products," he said, adding that all parties involved are playing their part to keep the nation well stocked, ensuring patients can remain worry-free.
Pharmaniaga proactively initiated advance procurement after learning lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, working alongside the Health Ministry (MOH) to monitor geopolitical tensions in the Middle East
"What we did was actually build up our buffer stock. We have started issuing forward purchase orders earlier until the end of the year. So that's what we have done," Zulkifli added.
However, he cautioned that rising raw material costs could impact the market later this year.
Despite potential cost hikes, the pharmaceutical giant expects sustained double-digit revenue growth
Its government concession business is projected to grow to RM2.1 billion this year, up from RM2 billion in 2025, driven by an expanding list of approved medical products.
Pharmaniaga recorded a net profit of RM31.47 million for the first quarter ended 31 March 2026, marking a solid jump from the RM29.58 million recorded in the previous year.
