PEOPLE should not resort to panic buying certain over-the-counter medicines, amid fears of another Covid-19 wave hitting our shores, Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) president Amrahi Buang said.

He said panic buying is creating an “artificial demand”.

“When you panic buy, you are making the situation worse.

“You are creating an artificial demand,” Amrahi told The Malaysian Insight.

Amrahi said it is not wrong for people to buy medications but urged them not to hoard.

“First, you need to ask yourself why you need the medication.

“People should buy based on their needs and not stockpile them.  

“When they buy more, imagine others are also doing the same, then the ones who really require the medications will not have any,” he said.

China’s decision to reopen its borders on January 8, despite a surge in Covid-19 cases, has created fear among Malaysians that infections could rise again.

According to a report, Malaysia is one of the top 10 countries Chinese nationals want to visit.

It is estimated that Malaysia will receive 9,000 arrivals from China this week and is expecting around 1 million arrivals throughout the year.

Taking into account the possible influx of cases as travel picks up, the Health Ministry announced that it would be preparing to deal with the situation.    

The ministry said all visitors entering Malaysia will be subject to temperature screening.  

If a fever is discovered or declared, the traveller will be sent to a quarantine centre for further checks.  

Additionally, people who have been to China within 14 days of their arrival in Malaysia will need to take an RTK-Antigen test.

It was reported that pharmacists were bracing themselves for drug shortages amid fears of a new Covid-19 wave.

“We have had three years’ experience with the Covid-19 pandemic, we should know what medicines, the quantity we need and how many to be taken per day.

“With that, there should not be any panic buying,” he said.

Amrahi said that some of the drugs that are commonly available off the shelf are paracetamol, antihistamines, cough syrups and certain types of supplements.

However, if panic buying takes hold, pharmacies might not be able to restock, the MPS president said.

“When people panic buy and finish the medications off the shelf, manufacturers are not be able to meet demand because panic buying is not something that is only happening in Malaysia.

“There will be some form of shortages. We are not talking only about the finished products or the ingredients, this includes the excipients and also the packaging materials,” he said.

Last month, Amrahi said pharmacies in Malaysia continue to face a shortage of over-the-counter drugs but claimed the situation was still manageable.

He said shortages only involve certain brands as generics are still available.

Earlier this year, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) also said that a surge in demand for over-the-counter drugs, supply chain disruptions and scaled-down production during the Covid-19 pandemic had led to a shortage of medicines nationwide. – January 7, 2023.