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Tongkat Ali and Kacip Fatimah drinks or any food or beverage products are classified as a food product and are regulated by Food Safety and Quality Division, Ministry of Health. Advertising for food products is not under the purview of Medicine Advertisements Board and thus does not require approval from MAB. However, advertisements of food products are not allowed to make any medical claims, such as enhancing sexual performance, reducing joint pain, lowering blood sugar level and so on. For any inquiries regarding the advertising of food products, please visit the official website of FSQD at https://hq.moh.gov.my/fsq/ or via official telephone 03-8885 0796 / 03-8885 0797.

Amendments to the layout format without altering the content of the advertisement that has been approved are permitted without requiring approval from MAB. However, the applicants must inform by notifying the secretariat via email to avoid any confusion with pharmacy enforcement officers during the screening process.

All medicinal products in Malaysia, including imported medicines, must be registered with the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH)  before they can be sold or marketed to consumers. Registered products are guaranteed in terms of Safety, Quality and Efficacy. Registered medicines must carry both registration numbers (ie  MAL20125467T) and  Meditag Hologram labels on its label or packaging. A valid registration number begins with “MAL”, followed by 8-digit numbers and ends with an alphabet to indicate their registration category. The categories of registered product are as follows:

A – Controlled medicines
X – Over the counter medicines (OTC)
T – Natural Products/ Traditional Medicines
N – Health Supplements
H - Veterinary Products

In addition, there may be administrative codes used by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency after the product category. The administrative code is:

C  – Contract Manufactured (the product is manufactured by a GMP certified contract manufacturer)
E – For Export Only (FEO) (the product is to be sold for export only and not for sale in the local market)
R –  Packed and/or repacked (the product is packed and/or repacked by an approved GMP certified packer and/or repacker)
S – Second source (the product is from a second source/ approved second manufacturer)
Y –  Orphan products
Z – Products gazetted as zero-rated under the Goods and Services Tax Act 2014, Goods and Services Tax (Zero-Rated Supplies) Order 2014.

Users can check the registration status of a product through the https://www.npra.gov.my / OR by contacting the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency at 03-78835400.

In that website you can click on the 'Product Search' icon. Search for registered products can be done using:

•    Product Name
•    Registration Number
•    Registration Holder Name
•    Active Ingridient
•    Manufacturer / Importer Name

If the product is a registered product, the registration status will be displayed. After checking the registration number, you are advised to check the validity of the hologram label through a pharmacist at nearby hospital, clinic or pharmacy.

In addition, people can also download the NPRA Product Status application from the Google Play Store to check the status of their product registration.

Complaints can be lodge either by phone, e-mail or in writing to the Senior Director of Pharmaceutical Services. You can also contact the nearest Pharmacy Enforcement Branch office.