Only registered community pharmacies allowed to offer blood sampling, testing services

File photo of a blood donation drive. Image by Robert DeLaRosa from Pixabay

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, April 30: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has stressed that health screening services, including blood collection offered by community pharmacies, may only be carried out at registered and licensed premises in line with existing laws to ensure patient safety and service quality.

In a statement today, MOH emphasised that blood sampling or phlebotomy is a clinical procedure that carries inherent risks and must adhere to established safety standards and proper risk management protocols.

As such, it must only be conducted within healthcare facilities that meet regulatory requirements.

“Under Section 2 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586), health screening services, including blood testing, are classified as healthcare services.

“This means any premises offering such services are required to be registered and licensed under the Act,” it said.

MOH further warned that providing such services without valid registration or a licence constitutes an offence under Act 586, which carries penalties of up to RM500,000 in fines, imprisonment of up to six years, or both.

Reiterating its commitment to safeguarding public health, the Ministry said it will continue to strengthen enforcement efforts to ensure that all healthcare services are delivered only by properly registered or licensed facilities.

“Strict adherence to licensing requirements is essential not only to protect patients and ensure service quality, but also to safeguard community pharmacies from potential legal and reputational risks,” it added. — DayakDaily