Only human insulin facing supply issues, diabetes treatment at ministry's facilities unaffected

PETALING JAYA: Of the 41 drugs used to treat diabetes, only human insulin is facing supply issues, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

In a post on X on Thursday (Aug 22), Dzulkefly said medical supplies in the ministry are continuously managed “to withstand supply disruption.”

“The health ministry ensures patients get adequate treatment including increased use of an insulin analogue inhibitor,” he said.

Dzulkefly had also attached a statement from the ministry in the said post.

Apart from human insulin, insulin analogues and oral hypoglycaemic agents are also administered in diabetes treatment depending on a patient’s need.

In the statement, the ministry said the supply disruption for human insulin was due to production issues on a local supplier’s side.

“Human insulins are supplied to the Health Ministry’s facilities by a few suppliers including a local supplier,” said the ministry.

“To ensure that patient treatment continues without disruption, the ministry has taken a few approaches including the use of analogue insulin and oral therapy based on a doctor’s clinical evaluation of a patient,” said the ministry, adding that diabetes treatment is not affected.

As per its previous announcement on Aug 12, the health ministry reiterated that procurement policies of medicines and medical devices will be improved.

“For the long and medium term, the ministry is confident that the supplies of insulin will be at optimum levels,” it said.

“Efforts are underway to diversify supplies of insulin to ensure there are enough supplies in the future. Local manufacturers and overseas suppliers who are interested in registering their insulin products with the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) will be given priority in their evaluation process,” it added.

The ministry said it will not compromise on issues related to the supplies of medicine, which is a key aspect of healthcare.

It also advised diabetes patients to consult their doctors for clarity and accurate information.

Health portal Code Blue reported on Aug 21 that the ministry facilities nationwide were facing supply disruption of human insulin following supply issues with local manufacturer Biocon Malaysia which is owned by India’s Biocon Biologics Limited.

The report said the condition is especially dire in Selangor; while there were also reports of shortages in Kuala Lumpur and at least three other states: Johor, Melaka, and Kedah.

It claimed the shortage of the crucial diabetes treatment has now reached critical levels, with certain public healthcare facilities now expected to completely run out of insulin stocks this week.