PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) has urged the health ministry to set a clear quota, selection process, and timeline for absorbing contract pharmacists into permanent service.
This comes after health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry would recommend absorbing contract pharmacy officers into permanent positions for consideration by the finance ministry and the Cabinet.
The society specifically asked for details on the number of posts to be proposed, the timeline for approval, and the cohorts of contract pharmacists who would be eligible.
It also asked about the status of pharmacists who had completed or exhausted their contract tenure but were willing to continue serving.
With 3,545 contract pharmacists still serving in the ministry and another 115 awaiting permanent posts, it asked whether the 115 would get priority and pharmacists whose contracts had ended could still be considered.
MPS also wants details on the selection process, including whether appointments would be made in phases, and how service experience, seniority and workforce needs would be taken into account.
Its president, Amrahi Buang, said they welcomed the proposal to create a new quota for permanent pharmacy and dental officers, separate from the 9,000 permanent medical officer positions announced under the 2027 budget.
However, he said, the priority now was to translate this commitment into a clear, transparent and implementable pathway.
"The affected pharmacists require sufficient certainty to make informed decisions about their careers and continued service within the public healthcare system," he said in a statement.
Amrahi said MPS also believed that resolving the issue would require a broader, sustainable pharmacy workforce strategy that addressed staffing needs, retention, career development and the evolving roles of pharmacists in the healthcare system.
Through its Public Pharmacists Chapter, he said, the society would continue to gather feedback from affected pharmacists and advocate for fair and sustainable career pathways.