They bring some representatives to the pharmacy and give us gifts in various forms, and sometimes medicines in the form of medical samples, etc.
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The questioner:
He says: I work as a pharmacist in a private pharmacy, and some representatives from companies come to visit us. Sometimes they give me gifts in various forms, and sometimes medicines in the form of priced medical samples, exactly like the merchandise. I previously informed the pharmacy owner about this, and he told me there is no problem with it. Sometimes the gifts are given to me in connection with orders for medicines from their companies. Knowing that these medicines are used in the pharmacy and are not left until they expire, but are dispensed to patients. And although they do not affect the market or the prices, I have some questions: What is the ruling on these gifts, even though they sometimes do not affect the work? I cannot say that they do not always have an effect, but they do not have an effect because, naturally, they are dispensed to patients. Second, sometimes the medicines run out in the pharmacy, but there are priced samples in stock, and there is no difference between them and the original medicine. Is it permissible to sell them? And what should their price be? May Allah reward you with good and do you good.
The Shaykh:
Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions. To proceed: As long as the questioner does not take these gifts for himself, but rather they are given to the establishment itself, as trials for these medicines or advertisements for them, I see no harm in that. The harm would be if the worker in the pharmacy or the agent for the owner accepted these gifts for himself, for then they would be of the nature of bribery. But as long as they are placed in the pharmacy and dispensed to patients, and they are in the form of a gift from pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to these establishments to conduct trials on them, or so that the owners of these establishments become aware of these medicines and request them from the companies, I see no harm in that. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. I do not know what he means when he says they affect the work. Does he mean affecting the dealings with these companies that give gifts, as opposed to dealing with others? Or how is it?
The Shaykh:
It seems he is saying that they affect the owners of the establishments in that they buy from these companies. Yes.
The presenter:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
As opposed to others. So if that results in harm to the owners of other establishments, there is no doubt that harm is prohibited.
The presenter:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Shaykh:
What harms the owners of other establishments and diverts customers from them, there is no doubt that this is prohibited by the Shari'ah. But if it does not have an effect, or if they are giving these gifts to all pharmacy owners who they want to spread the name of these medicines or explain them to people, then as I mentioned
He says: I work as a pharmacist in a private pharmacy, and some representatives from companies come to visit us. Sometimes they give me gifts in various forms, and sometimes medicines in the form of priced medical samples, exactly like the merchandise. I previously informed the pharmacy owner about this, and he told me there is no problem with it. Sometimes the gifts are given to me in connection with orders for medicines from their companies. Knowing that these medicines are used in the pharmacy and are not left until they expire, but are dispensed to patients. And although they do not affect the market or the prices, I have some questions: What is the ruling on these gifts, even though they sometimes do not affect the work? I cannot say that they do not always have an effect, but they do not have an effect because, naturally, they are dispensed to patients. Second, sometimes the medicines run out in the pharmacy, but there are priced samples in stock, and there is no difference between them and the original medicine. Is it permissible to sell them? And what should their price be? May Allah reward you with good and do you good.
The Shaykh:
Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions. To proceed: As long as the questioner does not take these gifts for himself, but rather they are given to the establishment itself, as trials for these medicines or advertisements for them, I see no harm in that. The harm would be if the worker in the pharmacy or the agent for the owner accepted these gifts for himself, for then they would be of the nature of bribery. But as long as they are placed in the pharmacy and dispensed to patients, and they are in the form of a gift from pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to these establishments to conduct trials on them, or so that the owners of these establishments become aware of these medicines and request them from the companies, I see no harm in that. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. I do not know what he means when he says they affect the work. Does he mean affecting the dealings with these companies that give gifts, as opposed to dealing with others? Or how is it?
The Shaykh:
It seems he is saying that they affect the owners of the establishments in that they buy from these companies. Yes.
The presenter:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
As opposed to others. So if that results in harm to the owners of other establishments, there is no doubt that harm is prohibited.
The presenter:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Shaykh:
What harms the owners of other establishments and diverts customers from them, there is no doubt that this is prohibited by the Shari'ah. But if it does not have an effect, or if they are giving these gifts to all pharmacy owners who they want to spread the name of these medicines or explain them to people, then as I mentioned
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، يأتون بعض المندوبين للصيدلية ويعطوننا هدايا في صور مختلفة، وأحيانا أدوية في صورة عينات طبية .. الخ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.