Think You Were Overcharged By A Clinic? Here's What You Should Do

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You’ve had a sore throat and have been feeling feverish for the past few days. With Malaysia’s scorching heat outside and freezing office air-conditioning inside, it’s hardly surprising.

Like many people, you probably soldier on and only visit a clinic when you finally have the time.

Then comes the shock. Your clinic bill amounts to RM544!

For many Malaysians, that’s enough to cover a month’s worth of groceries or food expenses.

That was the reality faced by Threads user @m0hdnasrul, who recently shared his experience online.

“Not coming back to this clinic ever again. RM544 for meds. This is crazy, I only had sore throat and flu.”

He said he was prescribed:

In the comment section, many users said the cost of the prescribed medication appeared excessively high.

One commenter, @moganram, claimed that the same medications could likely be purchased from a pharmacy for less than RM100.

“Those medicines would probably cost under RM100 if you bought them from a pharmacy. This is almost five times more expensive.”

Similarly, @annr0se_, estimated that most of the prescribed medications—except for the antibiotic amoxicillin—could be purchased over the counter at a pharmacy for less than RM50.

“All of those medicines, except amoxicillin, are available over the counter for less than RM50. Even amoxicillin usually costs around RM25 at other clinics. So the total for the medication should be about RM75, plus roughly RM40 for the consultation. You’ve been scammed.”

Many users also urged @m0hdnasrul to share the itemised bill for the medication provided, saying the amount charged appeared unreasonable and lacked transparency.

Overcharged Or Fair Price? The Question Behind The RM544 Bill

A medical practitioner and clinic owner who wishes to remain anonymous, said based on the list of medication provided by the Threads user, it would only be RM81 at her clinic.

Meanwhile, based on a simple diagnosis of “sore throat and flu”, she would not have prescribed that many medication. However, this was still subject to other factors upon an actual consultation with the patient.

Medicine Price Display Order

The enforcement of Malaysia’s medicine price display order at private healthcare facilities began in May 2025, following the implementation of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Price Marking for Drugs) Order 2025 by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN).

Under the Order, every private healthcare facility and community pharmacy must display price tags or labels on medicines that are visible or accessible to consumers.

The price list must include:

The list may be displayed in either physical or electronic form, provided it is easily visible and accessible to consumers.

Failure to comply with the Order is a criminal offence, with penalties of up to RM50,000 for individuals and RM100,000 for companies.

What Can You Do If You Think You’ve Been Overcharged?

If you believe you’ve been charged an unreasonable amount by a private clinic, the first step is to seek clarification directly from the clinic.

Ask for an itemised bill and review every charge with the clinic’s management. In many cases, the issue can be resolved through clarification.

If the matter remains unresolved, you can lodge a complaint with the Ministry of Health via https://moh.spab.gov.my.

You may also file a complaint with the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA), which can advise consumers and help escalate the matter for further investigation.

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