March-April . 2024 | The HEALTH

Maintaining good health and well-being is important in Islam , and when inflicted with illness , one is required to seek treatment and cure . In a study conducted in Malaysia , it was found that elements of religiosity , such as internal and organisational religiosity , were linked to increased motivation to take medication in certain subgroups of population . Understanding the mechanism of influence that culture and religiosity had on medication adherence could help healthcare professionals to improve engagement with patients and improve their adherence ( Abdul Wahab et al . 2021 ).

To this end , understanding the views of patients or consumers related to halal pharmaceuticals is paramount for the healthcare team to provide the best service and solutions .

THE THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE , ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE ( KAP ) FOR HALAL PHARMACEUTICALS

To understand the view of patients or consumers related to halal pharmaceuticals , Knowledge , Attitude and Practice ( KAP ) surveys are commonly used . KAP surveys can identify knowledge gaps and behavioural patterns among sociodemographic subgroups .

The Knowledge ( K ) part is used to assess the extent of community knowledge about public health concepts . Meanwhile , Attitude ( A ) refers to a person ’ s general feelings about an issue , object or person . Attitudes are interlinked with the person ’ s knowledge , beliefs , emotions , and values and is classified as positive or negative . Finally , Practice ( P ) is defined as doing or playing something regularly or repeatedly to become skilled at it .

The behaviour model of KAP is based on the principle that increasing a person ’ s knowledge of halal pharmaceuticals will prompt a behaviour change that relates to the topic among the public .

THE MALAYSIAN KAP SNAPSHOT OF HALAL PHARMACEUTICALS

Around 400 respondents in Klang Valley agreed and were interviewed in a survey to evaluate their knowledge , attitude and practice of halal pharmaceuticals . Background information such as their educational level , health status , trend of usage of medication and supplements were gathered from the KAP .

In the knowledge section of the survey , respondents were asked on the definition and requirement of halal pharmaceutical products . They were also asked about the pharmaceutical products that may contain ingredients such as alcohol and substances from animal origin .

The attitude section evaluates whether respondents ’ feeling , and views related to their beliefs should be considered prior to prescribing or dispensing the medications to them , and whether the patients or customers have the right to be informed . Their demand for a proper health education related to this topic was also sought .

Finally , the practice was measured by obtaining the respondents ’ action related to their preference in consuming pharmaceutical products with a halal logo and their preference in receiving information from healthcare professionals before deciding to accept the prescription of pharmaceutical products .

The findings demonstrated that the public generally has a good knowledge , attitude and practice towards halal pharmaceuticals . It was also found that their social demographics , particularly race and religion , influence their knowledge and practice related to halal pharmaceuticals . A prior study also reported that consumer preference stems from their obligation to Islamic tenets ( Naimat et al ., 2023 ).

HALAL IS FOR ALL , AND SO ARE HALAL PHARMACEUTICALS

Notably , the KAP survey on halal pharmaceuticals was observed to attract only a certain demographic subgroup of the population with the majority of respondents being Malay Muslim .

Other subgroups were observed less interested , which shows that religious beliefs significantly influence consumer preference in choosing halal pharmaceutical products . This presents market penetration opportunities within non-Muslim consumer groups .

Nonetheless , halal is not just for a certain group of people . Allah s . w . t . said in the Quran : “ O humanity ! Eat from what is lawful and good on the earth and do not follow Satan ’ s footsteps . He is truly your sworn enemy .” ( Quran , Al-Baqarah , 2:68 )

Halalan toyyiban foods and products , including pharmaceuticals hold the premise of being good , safe , effective , and wholesome , and these are bounties from The Creator to be enjoyed and benefited by all mankind . To this end , the findings from the KAP survey called for more efforts in educating the public that halal pharmaceuticals bring benefits to the whole spectrum of the population and not just a certain group . The heightened awareness among consumers will then reinforce the roles of all stakeholders in the halal pharmaceutical fraternity to continue to develop and safeguard the industry . – The HEALTH

Note : We wish to acknowledge the support from Duophama Biotech Berhad towards the success of the KAP study .