BY CAMILIA REZALI

halal pharmaceuticals today is borderless .

Consumers are becoming increasingly discerning and demand only the purest and finest ingredients are used in making pharmaceuticals , more so during the current Covid-19 pandemic .

In this context , manufacturers can help consumers make an informed decision by enlightening them on the ingredients of their products . Pharmacists too play a role in assisting consumers in deciding when choosing the right product .

Pharmacists essentially provide their services at public facilities and either in a community or an industrial setting .

Although having sufficient knowledge on halal helps in prescribing medicines , more importantly , the presence of a halal logo acts as a closer reference point for pharmacists .

A community pharmacist from D ’ ansara Pharmashoppe & Healthcare Sdn Bhd , Abdul Aziz Jamaludin said : “ The halal logo plays a significant role . No doubt , pharmaceutical products with a halal logo give more confidence to the patients to choose .

“ Most of the pharmacists in Malaysia , especially the community pharmacists , are very familiar with the need for a halal certificate for most of the products that we sell in our outlets .”

Every halal pharmaceutical product has a registration number , and these products generally go through a complete halal certification review process .

Aziz said : “ Pharmacists normally keep an eye on the halal logo and also the list of ingredients on pamphlets or packaging of the particular product . In most situations , we will request for product details from the manufacturers or sales representatives .”

Educating the consumer

Sales representatives from drug companies will share supporting documents with the pharmacist that provide information on the product ’ s halal status , halal manufacturing processes and ingredients . Pharmacists also use search engines , such as Google , to look up on product details . “ Normally , it is easy for us to get information . We can also login into the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency ( NRPA ) and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia ( JAKIM ) websites to know the list of halal pharmaceutical product ingredients ,” shared Aziz .

For more in-depth knowledge , pharmacists often refer to past research papers on a particular drug . Additionally , prescribing substitutes or alternative pharmaceutical products to consumers is not a worry for pharmacists as they are easy to find .

“ With modern technology , producers of pharmaceutical products normally have their list of alternatives for non-halal ingredients , and these products are easily available to consumers .”

Aziz said pharmacists play a vital role in educating consumers through the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society ( MPS ) on how to distinguish a halal product from a non-halal product .

This , he added , was always highlighted by the MPS in seminars and conferences . — The Health