Are gifts presented by pharmaceutical companies to doctors permissible or forbidden (halal or haram)?
If gifts lead the physician to favor a specific medicine, then this is a forbidden bribe and is not permissible. Labeling it a "gift" does not change its true nature. The Permanent Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked about the ruling on physicians accepting gifts from pharmaceutical companies in exchange for prescribing their products, and they responded by deeming it forbidden, because it is a bribe that prompts the physician to show favoritism and harms other companies.
However, if the gifts do not affect the physician's work or his advice to his patients, then the default ruling is that they are permissible. Sheikh Ibn 'Uthaymin was asked about physicians and pharmacists accepting samples and promotional gifts from pharmaceutical companies, and he responded that it is permissible as long as it is not a bribe.
Nevertheless, it is more prudent to avoid these gifts as a preventative measure to block the means to corruption.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Original fatwa ID
- 174307
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy