What is the ruling on substituting one medication for another with the same active ingredient and concentration in a pharmacy, without the patient's or doctor's permission?
If the purpose of dispensing medication is to recommend it to the buyer for purchase, then if the medication prescribed in the recipe is available, it is not permissible for the pharmacist to give the buyer an alternative or equivalent; because selecting the appropriate medication is the prerogative of the treating physician.
However, if the prescribed medication is not available, it is not permissible to sell a substitute without informing the buyer so that they can consult their physician. The contract is made for the prescribed item, and it is not permissible to sell something else without their knowledge. This is especially true if the price of the substitute is higher.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 194933
- 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