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Is forging fake prescriptions to obtain medicines from the Ministry of Health, or adding extra medicines to existing patient prescriptions, then having the doctor sign them, considered lying, stealing, and a breach of trust?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is not permissible to dispense free medicine through deception and falsehood, as it involves betraying a trust and consuming wealth unlawfully. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever cheats us is not of us, and deceit and trickery lead to the Fire." If someone obtains medicine unlawfully, they must return it or an equivalent amount to its source (the Ministry). If that is not possible, they should guarantee its value for the benefit of the Ministry. If even that is not possible, it should be given to charitable causes or to the poor. If the person who took it is poor, it is permissible for them to take from it for themselves and their family. It is not permissible to write a prescription in the recipient's name to give it to a friend, unless the friend is genuinely in need of the medicine and unable to come, while also adhering to the established procedures.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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