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Fatwa CenterFinancial Ties Between Doctors and Medical Advertising Companies
Question
(Shorter version of previous post)Dr. X is working in a private hospital. He wants to make a business agreement with one of the best companies in my country. According to the agreement, I will write drugs for diseases that are produced by the aforementioned renowned company. The price of the drug is similar to that of other companies and quality is superior or similar to other companies. As an agreement, I will get a monthly salary from that company.Conditions of the agreement:· He will write a drug in prescription according to the disease condition• The salary should not be target-based. It will be a fixed monthly salary
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His Slave and Messenger.
The engagement of medical advertising companies in paying a salary to a doctor or providing gifts, etc., in exchange for prescribing the company's medications to visiting patients can lead to great harm and raises many concerns.
A doctor who receives compensation for prescribing a particular company's medication is undoubtedly influenced by what he receives when prescribing the drug to the patient. The doctor will not consider the priority or the most suitable price for the patients; rather, his focus will be on his salary and what he receives.
Even if the mentioned medication is equal in quality and price or better, it does not necessarily guarantee its continuous suitability. A better alternative may emerge, and prices for similar medicines may decrease, yet the doctor continues to prescribe the same medication to maintain his salary.
In this way, the doctor transforms from an honest advisor to a marketer for pharmaceutical companies. If this practice is allowed, it opens the door to corruption and competition among companies to attract doctors. The primary and ultimate victims of this competition are the patients, who may receive prescriptions for medications that are not the best for them, and they are also adversely affected by the increased cost of medications as the financial gains received by these doctors eventually translate into a burden on the patients.
Therefore, what we see is an absolute prohibition of such practices, aiming to close the doors to excuses that would lead to these harms.
Allah knows best.
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