International Journal of Educational Research and Development Vol. 2(8), pp.

191-202, September 2013

Available online at http://www.academeresearchjournals.org/journal/ijerd
ISSN 2327-316X 2013 Academe Research Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Knowledge, attitude and perception regarding Halal

Pharmaceuticals, among academicians in various
universities of Malaysia
Saleha Sadeeqa1*, Azmi Sarriff1, Imran Masood2 and Maryam Farooqui3
1
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia.
2
Faculty of Pharmacy and Alternative Medicines, Islamia University Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
3
Department of Pharmacy, UiTM, Malaysia.
Accepted 16 August, 2013

This is a cross-sectional study, carried out between November 2012 and December 2012, using
structured, self-administered questionnaires to evaluate the Knowledge, Attitude and Perception (KAP)
regarding Halal pharmaceuticals, among academicians in various universities of Malaysia. The study
was conducted on a sample of 170. Inclusion criteria was a full time faculty member of pharmacy
school, medical school or dental school of public or private university in Malaysia. Study settings
included pharmacy, medical and dental schools of public and private universities in Malaysia. Data was
collected through sending questionnaires by post. Results revealed that academicians have a good
knowledge and positive attitude and perception about Halal pharmaceuticals. Mean knowledge score
out of maximum possible 8 was 6.851.00, mean attitude score out of maximum possible score of 50
was 33.438.17, while mean perception score out of maximum possible score of 75 was 62.596.11.
Mean overall KAP score out of maximum possible score of 133 was 102.64 12.19. There was a
significant, positive and fair correlation (0.25 - 0.5) between knowledge and attitude (r= 0.496, p<0.001),
knowledge and perception (r= 0.295, p<0.001) and attitude and perception (r= 0.324, p<0.001). This
shows that the better knowledge the respondents have on Halal pharmaceuticals, the better their
perception and attitude is towards Halal pharmaceuticals. P value of 0.05 or less was taken as
statistically significant.

Key words: Knowledge, attitude, perception, Halal pharmaceuticals, Malaysia, academicians.

INTRODUCTION

Halal is an Arabic word which means lawful,
permissible under Islamic law. The opposite of Halal is
Haram which means unlawful, prohibited,
forbidden. Halal and Haram are universal terms that
apply to all facets of life (Anonymous, 2011; Nasaruddin
et al., 2011; Anonymous, 2012). However, this study will
adapt these terms to refer only to pharmaceutical
products, that are deemed permissible for consumption of
Muslims.
Halal is a well known word in the entire Muslim world.
However as the Muslim population is expanding in other
continents, this word has come to be used so commonly
in the day to day life that even the non-Islamic world has
become cognizant of this terminology. This has resulted
in Halal signs, at shops and food products, in America
and Europe, catering for the religious beliefs and needs
of the Muslim consumers.
In the Holy Quran, God commands Muslims and all of
mankind to eat of the Halal things. As Al Quran says:
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
salehasadeeqa@gmail.com.
Sadeeqa et al. 192
O mankind eat of that which is lawful and
wholesome and follow not the footsteps of the
devil. Lo he is an avowed enemy of you (Al
Quran, 2, 168).
As a Muslim, the need of lawful (Halal) and wholesome
(tayyab) products (including medicines) is not only a part
of ibadah to get pleasure of Allah SWT, but it also gives
nourishment to the body as well as to our soul due to the
permissibility (Halalness) and purity of the product. At
present, as the awareness of the Muslims towards Halal
ingredients in food and medicines increases, the need for
credible information and data is deemed a necessity
(Nasaruddin et al., 2011).
It is a firm belief of all Muslims that Allah is our creator
and He is the best judge of what is right for us to
consume and in what shape it should be done. However
it is pertinent to mention that all old religions of the world
like Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity also command
certain religious restrictions and bindings on their
followers in the consumption of foods and drinks.(Mynors
et al., 2004; Dayton, 2008). They may use other
terminologies to define these restrictions but the main
sentiment is the same. It would be pertinent to look into
various items of human consumption, including
medicines, and their variants, to determine admissibility
according to individual beliefs, however this study would
relate to Muslims only.A drug/medicine is composed of a
combination of active ingredients, and excipients. These
substances are obtained from a variety of sources:
animals, plants or synthetic origins. In case of animal
sources, it may be porcine, dead animal or blood. All
these are Haram/forbidden for Muslims as mentioned in
the translation of the Quranic verses cited below:
He hath only forbidden you dead meat and blood
and the flesh of swine and that eat on which any
other name hath been invoked besides that of
Allah, but if one is forced by necessity, without
willful disobedience, Allah is forgiver and most
merciful (Al Quran, 2, 173).
Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat,
blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath
been invoked a name other than that of Allah (Al
Quran, 5, 3).
From the Quranic verses cited, it would imply that, not
only, consuming Halal food but also consuming Halal
medication is important because it forms a major part and
behavior of being a good practicing Muslim. Consuming
Halal medication is a fundamental right of Muslims in
terms of using healthcare facilities and services to
maintain their health according to their faith and belief.
Much has been written on the subject of Halal and Haram
in food, but references to Halal/Haram issue in
pharmaceuticals especially as to the origin of com-
pounds, are undocumented, scanty and few. In fact the
subject of Halal/Haram in pharmaceuticals has not been
given due attention so far.
Global scenario
The globally expanding Muslim population, as pointed out
earlier, has in turn expanded the Muslim consumers
market manifolds. Moreover, awareness among Muslims
is dawning regarding medicines and its sources. Muslim
consumers are increasingly mindful and in search for
Halal medicines. To cater for this situation, in Sydney,
Australia has opened its first Halal friendly pharmacy
with a retail pharmacy in the Sydney suburbs of
Lakemba. It has introduced a line of Halal certified
medicines. Additionally, this new organization, Halal
Certified Medicine (HCM), is providing a service that
determines which medicines are Halal or Haram
(impermissible). For the convenience of Muslim
consumers, Halal medicines which are not certified Halal
when manufactured are labeled on the shelves with a
HCM logo sticker (Kandil, 2012).
Many countries have their own institutions to look upon
issues related to the Halal food. These bodies govern all
matters including issuance of Halal certification. Though,
pharmaceuticals are not mandatory for the monitoring of
the Halal status at present, we hope, and can foresee,
that as the demand and awareness for Halal certified
medicines catches worldwide momentum, all countries
would have to tailor their regulations to provide suitable
certification for drugs and medicines of all categories.
In Indonesia, which is the largest Muslim country in the
world, the countrys highest authority on Islamic affairs,
the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in 1988, established
the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Assessment Agency
(LPPOM), which employs experts to analyze products
before they are certified Halal. World Halal Council was
formed in 1999 in Jakarta and efforts to establish
international Halal standards were started.-An
International Meeting on Halal Standards was held on
25th July 2010 in Jakarta Indonesia and participants of
the meeting realizing the need to formulate and adopt a
uniform world Halal Certification Standards for the Halal
Certification Bodies/Authorities, signed a declaration on
Halal standards. The House of Representatives later tried
to make the bill on Halal (permissible under Islamic law)
products and to pass it into law (Anonymous, 2010a,
2010b, 2010c).
Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America
(IFANCA), is one of the worlds leading and well
respected Halal-certification organization. IFANCA has
been promoting Halal items since 1982, and certifies
products in all food and related industries including health
supplements, packaging materials and food chemicals
(INFANCA, 2011).
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) is
the sole custodian of Halal certification in Singapore. It
was established in 1978 (Anonymous, 2009).

The Halal Monitoring Authority (HMA) in Canada is an
organization established to provide assurance of genuine
Halal products through deployment of inspectors to
inspect, regulate, monitor, supervise and label Halal
consumables from their sources to the consumer. The
Halal Monitoring Authority promotes the highest
standards of Halal, addressing doubtful issues arising in
a Halal cautious consumers diet. The Halal Monitoring
Authority is recognized as the most authentic Halal
certification body in Canada (HMA, 2012). Since 1988,
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has been
providing Halal Certification service to the Muslim
communities not only in Canada and the United States
but throughout the Muslim world. ISNA Canada has
developed its Halal Logo to be put on the packages
certified as Halal (ISNA, 2010).
Malaysian scenario
As majority of Malaysian population is Muslim (Statistics,
2010), there are many government organizations which
are playing active role to ensure provision of Halal foods
and pharmaceuticals in the country. Halal Industry
Development Corporation (HDC) coordinates the overall
development of the Halal industry. It was established in
September 2006, and focuses on development of Halal
standards, audit and certification (Anonymous, Accessed
on 18 October, 2012). Department of Islamic
Development Malaysia (JAKIM) has established Malaysia
Halal logo and implemented Halal Certification System.
JAKIM issues Halal certificate for local and export
markets. Monitoring and enforcement of Halal guidelines
is also done by this institution (Anonymous, Accessed on
19 October 2012). Ministry of International Trade and
Industry (MITI) promotes Halal products and services. At
the international level, MITI assumes an active role in
promoting the Malaysian Halal Standard to be used as a
benchmark for the International Halal Standard
(Anonymous, Accessed on 10 October 2012).
Halal medicine should be Halal not only regarding the
ingredients but also regarding the method of production.
Department of Standards, Government of Malaysia have
launched MS 2424:2010 (P): Standards for Halal
Pharmaceuticals: These General Guidelines will address
the entire pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply
chain from processing to handling, packaging, labeling,
distribution, storage and display of medicines and health
supplies. These are the first standards in the world
(Anonymous, 2nd March 2011). Though many
government and non-government organizations are
playing an active role to ensure provision of Halal foods
and pharmaceuticals to Muslim consumers in Malaysia,
to the best of our knowledge no study has been done so
far to evaluate the perception of academicians regarding
Halal Pharmaceuticals. Moreover their knowledge on the
issues surrounding Halal Pharmaceuticals is not well
explored. Therefore the main objective of this study is to
Int. J. Educ. Res. Dev. 193
explore Malaysian academicians perceptions and
opinions of Halal Pharmaceuticals and also to implore the
academicians of considering to revise the curriculum to
include Halal issues.
To achieve this objective, an extensive study was
undertaken. A comprehensive questionnaire was
prepared asking a variety of questions to assess the
knowledge, attitude and perceptions of academicians.
Objectives
The general objective of this study is to evaluate
knowledge, attitude and perception of academicians
regarding Halal pharmaceuticals in various universities of
Malaysia. The specific objectives of the study are:
- To assess academicians knowledge regarding Halal
pharmaceuticals.
- To ascertain whether or not academicians are willing to
teach about Halal pharmaceuticals and the reasons
behind their decision.
- To evaluate awareness of academicians about Halal
alternatives.
METHODOLOGY
Study site
Malaysia is a Muslim country having multicultural and
multiracial society. It has 16 states with a total population
of 28.3 million and a land area of 329,959 km2 (Statistics,
2010; MOH, 2011). Major ethnic groups are Bumiputera
(67.4%), Chinese (24.6%), Indians (7.3%) and others
(0.7%). Islam is the most widely practiced religion in
Malaysia with the proportion of 61.3%. Other religions are
Buddhism (19.8%), Christianity (9.2%) and Hinduism
(6.3%) (Statistics, 2010).
Study design
A cross sectional study design was adopted by using
structured, self-administered questionnaire. This was a
postal survey conducted across Malaysia between
November 2012 and December 2012.
Questionnaire design
After extensive literature review, a self administered
questionnaire was designed to conduct this study. The
questionnaire was validated by the panel of experts
which was composed of eight senior academic
researchers and was updated according to their
recommendations. A pilot study was conducted to
evaluate the reliability of the updated questionnaire on 58
academicians (which is 10% of the total study sample)
(Bonett, 2002). Cronbachs alpha was applied to test
validity and internal consistency of the questionnaire (De
Sadeeqa et al. 194
Bourdeaudhuij et al., 2005) and =0.6 was set as the
minimum acceptable value for validity. Final modifications
were made based upon the results of the pilot study.
The final questionnaire consisted of four parts. The first
part of the questionnaire was on respondents
demographic information including age, gender, race,
religion, nationality, teaching field (pharmacy, medical,
dental), highest degree, year of graduation, name of
university the respondent is teaching now and finally the
teaching experience. The second part had 8 statements
to evaluate the knowledge of respondents towards Halal
pharmaceuticals. The third part consisted of 15
statements for perceptions evaluation of the respondents
towards Halal pharmaceuticals, and the final part had 10
statements about the attitude of respondents regarding
Halal pharmaceuticals. All questions were close ended,
except one at the end for additional comments.
Scoring method for knowledge, attitude and
perception (KAP)
For knowledge statements, respondents were asked to
choose Yes or No options. Correct answer (yes) was replied during this period. Responses were collected up
scored 1, while incorrect answer (no) was scored 0. A
five point Likert scale was used for perception and
attitude statements (strongly agree=5, agree=4,
neutral=3, disagree=2 and strongly disagree=1). Hence,
the minimum and maximum score for knowledge, attitude
and perception could be 0 to 8, 1 to 50, and 1 to 75
respectively. However, total KAP score could be 133.
Language of questionnaire
The questionnaire was developed in English language.
Selection criteria and recruitment of the respondents
A full time faculty member of pharmacy school, medical
school or dental school of public or private university was
recruited as the study participant.
Respondents incentives
No incentives were offered to any of the respondents
(Edwards et al., 2002).
Ethical Consideration
Ethical approval to conduct this study was taken from:
1. Joint Ethics Committee of School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Hospital Lam
Wah Ee, Pulao Pinang on Clinical Studies.
2. Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Sampling and data collection
Invitations were sent to the deans of all universities
having pharmacy, medical and dental education. Only
those faculties were included from where we got the
permission of the deans to conduct the study in their
institutions. For the distribution of questionnaires,
Guidelines and Standards for Survey Research were
followed. It was a convenient sampling; we listed all the
faculty members and sent the questionnaire to everyone
in the list. Questionnaires were sent individually by
normal post, to all listed faculty members of the
universities from where we got the permission of the
deans to conduct the study. The package was having a
copy of the permission letter from the dean, explanatory
statement, questionnaire and a return self-addressed,
postage paid envelope.
A period of 2 weeks was allowed for return of the
questionnaires from the first mail drop. First reminder was
sent to all faculty members, excluding those who
responded during this period or the letters which were
returned due to changed addresses (Oyvind et al., 2007).
A period of 2 weeks was again allowed for return of the
questionnaires from the first reminder. A second reminder
was sent to all faculty members, excluding those who had
to 15 days after the second reminder mail drop. After 6
weeks, any further returns were not included in the study.
Explanatory statement and a return self-addressed,
postage paid envelope was sent each time. Postal paper
stamps were supplied with the reply envelopes, as it was
considered a better method of increasing response
compared to franked prepaid business replies (Harrison
et al., 2002). A total of 170 faculty members replied with a
response rate of 29%.
Data analysis
After data collection and screening, data was entered in
SPSS version 18. Having done the data cleaning,
normality of data was checked by Kolmogorov-Smirnov
test. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation,
frequency, percentage, median, inter quartile range) was
applied to summarize the data. As data was not normally
distributed, so non-parametric tests were applied. Chi-
square Test and Fishers Exact Test were applied to
assess the association between demographic charac-
teristics vs knowledge, attitude and perception scores. To
find a relation between knowledge and attitude,
knowledge and perceptions, and attitude and perceptions
of respondents, Spearman-correlation was applied.
Correlation was interpreted using Cohens criteria
(Cohen, 1988). P value of 0.05 or less was taken as
statistically significant .
RESULTS
Respondents demographics
Demographic characteristics of the respondents are
depicted in Table 1. Mean age of the respondents was
 Int. J. Educ. Res. Dev. 195

Table 1. Descriptive characteristics of academicians.

Characteristics Demographic characteristics Frequency (%) (N=170)

24-34 47 (27.6)
35-44 80 (47.1)
45-54 29 (17.1)
Age (years)
55-64 13 (7.6)
>64 1 (0.6)
Total 170

Male 77 (45.3)
Gender Female 93 (54.7)
Total 170

Malay 118 (69.4)

Chinese 12 (7.1)
Indian 25 (14.7)
Race
Others (Pakistani=5, Arab=2, Persian=2,
15 (8.8)
Bengali=1, Expat=1, Iban=1, Indonesian=1)
Total 170

Muslim 142 (83.5)

Christian 8 (4.7)
Religion Buddhist 8 (4.7)
Hindu 11 (6.5)
Total 170

Malaysian 138 (81.2)

Others (Indian=18, Pakistani=7, Indonesian=1,
Nationality 32 (18.8)
Persian=1, Iraqi=2, Bengali=1, Syrian=1)
Total 170

Medical 58 (34.1)
Dental 29 (17.1)
Professional field
Pharmacy 83 (48.8)
Total 170

Bachelor 3 (1.8)
Master 93 (54.7)
Highest degree
PhD 74 (43.5)
Total 170

1-10 124 (72.9%)

11-20 30 (17.6%)
Teaching experience
21-30 14 (8.2%)
(years)
31-40 1 (0.6%)
41 1 (0.6%)

39.99 years with Standard Deviation of 8.32. Age
ranges were from 24-65 years. Gender wise 77 (45.3%)
of the respondents were male and 93 (54.7%) were
female. Ethnicity wise, 118 (69.4%) were Malay, 12
(7.1%) were Chinese, 25 (14.7%) were Indians and 15
(8.8%) comprised other countries, including Pakistani,
Arab, Persian, Bengali, Expat, Iban and Indonesian.
Regarding the religion, 142 (83.5%) were Muslims, 8
(4.7%) were Christians, 8 (4.7%) were Buddhist, and 11
(6.5%) were Hindus. According to their teaching field, 58
Sadeeqa et al. 196

Table 2. Academicians knowledge about Halal Pharmaceuticals (frequency distribution).

Response
Statement Yes No
N (%) N (%)
Are you aware of the term/word Halal? 170 (100)
Are you aware of the term/word Haram? 166 (97.6) 4 (2.4)
Are you aware of the term/word Halal pharmaceutical? 160 (94.1) 10 (5.9)
Do you know that Muslim patients need Halal medicines? 162 (95.9) 7 (4.1)
Do you know that dead animals, blood, pork and alcohol are Haram for Muslims
164 (97.0) 5 (3.0)
to use in any form (food, medication, etc.)?
Do you know that ingredients of some drugs/medicines are derived from
166 (97.6) 4 (2.4)
porcine and dead animals?
Do you know that it is ethical obligation for a practitioner to take consent from
130 (77.4) 38 (22.6)
the patient before dispensing any medicine which has any non-Halal content?
Is Halal pharmaceuticals concept a part of course contents in your institution? 47 (28.8) 116 (71.2)
Note: The frequencies and percentages are based on observed values; missing values are excluded.

(34.1%) were from the medical field, 29 (17.1%) were
from the dental field and 83 (48.8%) were from the
pharmacy field. A large majority (n=93, 54.7%) have
Masters as the highest degree, 74 (43.5%) have PhD and
only 3 (1.8%) have Bachelor as their highest degree.
Respondents knowledge regarding Halal
Pharmaceuticals
The frequency distribution of respondents knowledge
regarding Halal pharmaceuticals is depicted in Table 2.
Out of the maximum possible score (equal to 8), mean
knowledge score was 6.851.00 (Table 5) which shows
that the study population has good knowledge regarding
Halal pharmaceuticals. Majority of the respondents
(99.4%) scored 50% and above. Results showed that all
of the respondents were aware of the term Halal; on the
other hand, 166 (97.6%) of the respondents were aware
of the term Haram and only 4 (2.4%) were unaware. A
total of 160 (94.1%) respondents were aware of the term
Halal pharmaceutical showing a significant association
with respect to race (p=0.024) and religion (p=0.01),
while 10 (5.9%) were unaware.
Almost all (95.9%) respondents knew that Muslim
patients need Halal medicines showing a significant
association with respect to race (p<0.001), religion
(p<0.001) and years of experience, only a negligible
percentage (4.1%) was unaware. The study found that
164 (97%) respondents were aware that dead animals,
blood, pork and alcohol are Haram for Muslims to use in
any form (food, medication, etc.) showing a significant
association with respect to religion (p=0.021) and
specialty (p=0.026). Rest of the percentage (3.0%) was
unaware. Almost all (97.6%) respondents knew that
ingredients of some medicines are derived from porcine
and dead animals drugs showing a significant association
with respect to age (p=0.005), qualification (p=0.002) and
years of experience (p=0.002), only a negligible
percentage (2.4%) was unaware. A total of 130 (77.4%)
respondents had knowledge that it is ethical obligation for
a practitioner to take consent from the patient before
dispensing any medicine which has any non-Halal
content, however 38 (22.6) were unaware. A total of 47
(28.8%) respondents were aware that Halal
pharmaceuticals concept is a part of the course contents
in their institution, while 116 (71.2%) were unaware about
this information.
Respondents perception regarding Halal
Pharmaceuticals
The perception of respondents regarding Halal
pharmaceuticals was evaluated by using perception
questionnaire. The frequency distribution of respondents
perception regarding Halal pharmaceuticals is depicted in
Table 3. There were a total of 15 statements to evaluate
the perception of respondents. All of the respondents had
scored 50% and above. Out of the maximum possible
score (75), the mean perception score was 62.596.11
(Table 5) denoting a positive perception towards Halal
pharmaceuticals.
Results found that almost all respondents either
strongly agreed (68.8%) or agreed (25.9%) that
healthcare professionals should be able to advise their
patients about commonly used Halal medicines, showing
a significant association with respect to respondents race
(p=0.034) and religion (p=0.04); 4.7% showed neutral
response, while only one disagreed. On the other hand,
all respondents either strongly agreed (73.5%) or agreed
(26.5%) that patient has a right to ask the information
about sources of ingredients in medicines. This showed a
significant association with respect to respondents age
(p=0.001), religion (p=0.035), and qualification (p=0.012).
A total of 130 (76.5%) respondents strongly agreed, while
 Int. J. Educ. Res. Dev. 197

Table 3. Academicians perception about Halal pharmaceuticals (frequency distribution).

Response
Statement SA A N DA SDA
N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%)
Healthcare professionals should be able to advise their
117 (68.8) 44 (25.9) 8 (4.7) 1 (0.6)
patients about commonly used Halal medicines.

The patient has a right to ask information about sources and

125 (73.5) 45 (26.5)
ingredients of medicine.

Drug manufacturers should provide prescribers with a list of

130 (76.5) 36 (21.2) 2 (1.2) 1 (0.6) 1 (0.6)
their products containing animal-derived ingredients.

Healthcare professionals should be educated about the

117 (68.8) 52 (30.6) 1 (0.6)
sources of medicines.

Knowledge about Halal/Haram Medicines is important to me

109 (64.1) 50 (29.4) 8 (4.7) 2 (1.2) 1 (0.6)
as a faculty member.

I think pharmaceutical manufacturers should also be

sensitive towards the requirements of patients and where 114 (67.1) 41 (24.1) 11 (6.5) 4 (2.4)
ever possible should produce Halal medicines.

I think that drug companies should clearly mark medication

119 (70.0) 43 (25.3) 7 (4.1) 1 (0.6)
packaging with easy-to-spot Halal/non Halal labels.

I think that a list of the most commonly used, animal-derived

drugs and their alternatives should be developed and 97 (57.1) 65 (38.2) 6 (3.5) 2 (1.2)
included in the curriculum of Pharmacy/Medical Education.

I think that knowledge of Halal/Haram medicines and their

sources should be included in Pharmacy/Medical 93 (55.0) 53 (31.4) 19 (11.2) 4 (2.4)
curriculum.

The faculty members in health sciences need to be well

prepared to teach topics related to Halal/Haram 87 (51.2) 52 (30.6) 25 (14.7) 5 (2.9) 1 (0.6)
Pharmaceuticals.

Teaching about Halal/Haram should be left solely to the

parents/guardians and/or religious institutions within the 13 (7.6) 11 (6.5) 19 (11.2) 67 (39.4) 60 (35.3)
community.

Future pharmacy/Medical teachers must consider the study

of Halal/Haram pharmaceuticals while performing the role of 78 (46.2) 52 (30.8) 28 (16.6) 6 (3.6) 5 (3.0)
educator.

Clear and well explained guidelines are needed by the

98 (57.6) 66 (38.8) 6 (3.5)
healthcare professionals to navigate religious conflicts.

Teaching about Halal/Haram pharmaceuticals is too

7 (4.1) 4 (2.4) 14 (8.2) 55 (32.4) 90 (52.9)
controversial and should be avoided.

Perhaps if resources and training were made available to

faculty members in Pharmacy/Medical Schools, topics of
88 (51.8) 63 (37.1) 15 (8.8) 4 (2.4)
Halal/Haram medicines could be more easily incorporated
into the curriculum.
Note: The frequencies and percentages are based on observed values; missing values are excluded.
SA = strongly agree, A = agree, N = neutral, DA = disagree, SDA = strongly disagree.
Sadeeqa et al. 198
36 (21.2%) agreed that drug manufacturers should
provide prescribers with a list of their products containing
animal-derived ingredients. This showed a significant
association with respect to respondents race (p=0.004),
religion (p=0.002) and years of experience (p=0.048),
while a negligible percentage (2.4%) fluctuated from
neutral- disagree- strongly agree.
The study further found that a total of 117 (68.8%)
respondents strongly agreed and 52 (30.6%) agreed that
healthcare professionals should be educated about the
sources of medicines. This showed a significant
association with respect to respondents religion
(p=0.002). Only one person responded neutral. On the
other hand, a total of 109 (64.1%) respondents strongly
agreed while 50 (29.4%) agreed that knowledge about
Halal/Haram medicines is important to them as a faculty
member. This showed a significant association with
respect to respondents religion (p=028), while the rest of
the percentage (6.5%) fluctuated from neutral - disagree -
strongly disagree. A total of 114 (67.1%) respondents
strongly agreed while 41 (24.1%) agreed that
pharmaceutical manufacturers should also be sensitive
towards the requirements of patients and, where ever
possible, should produce Halal medicines, showing a
significant association with respect to respondents race
(p<0.001), religion (p<0.001), and qualification (p=0.002),
while the rest of percentage (about 9%) fluctuated from
neutral to disagree.
Results showed that a total of 119 (70.0%) respondents
showed their response as strongly agree while 41
(24.1%) agree that drug companies should clearly mark
medication packaging with easy-to-spot Halal/non Halal
labels. This showed a significant association with respect
to respondents race (p=0.008) and religion (p<0.001),
while the rest of the percentage (4.7%) fluctuated from
neutral to disagree. A total of 97 (57.1%) respondents
showed their response as strongly agree while 65
(38.2%) as agree that a list of the most commonly used,
animal-derived drugs and their alternatives should be
developed and included in curriculum of
Pharmacy/Medical Education. This showed a significant
association with respect to respondents gender
(p=0.011), while the rest of the percentage (4.7%)
fluctuated from neutral to strongly disagree. However, a
total of 93 (55.0%) respondents showed their response
as strongly agree while 53 (31.4%) as agree that the rest of the percentage (11.2%) fluctuated from neutral
knowledge of Halal/Haram medicines and their sources
should be included in Pharmacy/Medical curriculum. This
showed a significant association with respect to
respondents gender (p=0.042) race (p=0.003), religion
(p<0.001) and year of experience (p=0.018), while the
rest of the percentage (13.6%) fluctuated from neutral to
disagree.
The study further found that a total of 87 (51.2%)
respondents showed their response as strongly agree
while 87 (51.2%) as agree that the faculty members in
health sciences need to be well prepared to teach topics
related to Halal/Haram Pharmaceuticals showing a
significant association with respect to respondents race
(p=0.026) and religion (p=0.044). The rest of the
percentage (18.2%) fluctuated from neutral- disagree-
strongly disagree. Only a total of 13 (7.6%) respondents
showed their response as strongly agree while 11
(6.5%) as agree that teaching about Halal/Haram should
be left solely to the parents/guardians and/or religious
institutions within the community, showing a significant
association with respect to respondents age (p=0.031),
race (p<0.001), religion (p<0.001) and specialty
(p<0.001). While 19 (11.2%) gave a neutral response, 67
(39.4%) disagreed and 60 (35.3%) strongly disagreed. A
total of 78 (46.2%) respondents showed their response
as strongly agree while 52(30.8%) as agree that future
Pharmacy/Medical teachers must consider the study of
Halal/Haram pharmaceuticals while performing the role of
educator. This showed a significant association with
respect to respondents race (p=0.029), religion
(p=0.002) and qualification (p=0.002). Rest of the
percentage (23.2%) fluctuated from neutral - disagree -
strongly disagree.
Results further showed that a total of 98 (57.6%)
respondents showed their response as strongly agree
while 66 (38.8%) as agree that clear and well explained
guidelines are needed by the healthcare professionals to
navigate religious conflicts. This showed a significant
association with respect to respondents race (p=0.006).
Only a small percentage 6 (3.5%) remained neutral. Also,
a small percentage of respondents 7 (4.1%) showed their
response as strongly agree and 4 (2.4%) as agree that
teaching about Halal/Haram pharmaceuticals is too
controversial and should be avoided. This showed a
significant association with respect to respondents race
(p<0.001), religion (p<0.001) and specialty (p=0.014).
While 14 (8.2%) gave a neutral response, 55 (32.4%)
disagreed and 90 (52.9%) strongly disagreed. However,
a total of 88 (51.8%) respondents showed their response
as strongly agree while 63 (37.1%) as agree that if
resources and training were made available to faculty
members in Pharmacy / Medical Schools, topics of Halal/
Haram medicines could be more easily incorporated into
the curriculum. However, this showed a significant
association with respect to respondents gender
(p=0.021), race (p=0.001) and specialty (p<0.001), while
to disagree.
Respondents attitude regarding Halal
Pharmaceuticals
The attitude of respondents regarding Halal
pharmaceuticals was evaluated by using attitude
questionnaire. The frequency distribution of respondents
attitude regarding Halal pharmaceuticals is depicted in
Table 4. There were a total of 10 statements to evaluate
the attitude of respondents. Out of the maximum possible
 Int. J. Educ. Res. Dev. 199

Table 4. Academicians attitude about Halal Pharmaceuticals (frequency distribution).

Response
Statement SA A N DA SDA
N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%)
I educate the students regarding Halal/Haram
19 (11.4) 62 (37.1) 59 (35.3) 19 (11.4) 8 (4.8)
ingredients of medicines.

I educate the students about the sources of medication

16 (9.6) 71 (42.8) 54 (32.5) 19 (11.4) 6 (3.6)
ingredients.

I teach my students about different faiths regarding

16 (9.6) 31 (18.7) 77 (46.4) 32 (19.3) 10 (6.0)
intake of medicine.

I used to explore students own beliefs and preferences

regarding Halal/Haram issues while using/prescribing 13 (7.8) 48 (28.9) 59 (35.5) 34 (20.5) 12 (7.2)
medicines.

I discuss with my students the therapeutic effectiveness

13 (7.8) 54 (32.5) 60 (36.1) 31 (18.7) 8 (4.8)
and side effects of Halal alternatives.

I teach my students that in future they should consider

patients religious beliefs when designing a treatment 33 (19.9) 72 (43.4) 44 (26.5) 12 (7.2) 5 (3.0)
regimen.

I teach my students that it is their moral obligation to

disclose the sources of non-Halal ingredients to the 45 (27.1) 57 (34.3) 44 (26.5) 14 (8.4) 6 (3.6)
patients in their practice.

I teach my students to take consent from the patient

about non-Halal drugs while looking into the 38 (22.9) 41 (24.7) 59 (35.5) 21 (12.7) 7 (4.2)
prescriptions in their practice.

I will include topics about Halal/Haram pharmaceuticals

60 (35.3) 53 (31.5) 45 (26.8) 6 (3.6) 4 (2.4)
if I have to develop Pharmacy/ Medical curriculum.

I consider myself to be adequately trained in the

13 (7.7) 31 (18.5) 64 (38.1) 41 (24.4) 19 (11.3)
teaching area regarding Halal/Haram pharmaceuticals.
Note: The frequencies and percentages are based on observed values; missing values are excluded.
SA = strongly agree, A = agree, N = neutral, DA = disagree, SDA = strongly disagree.

score (50), the mean attitude score was 33.438.17
(Table 5). More than 88% scored 50% or above denoting
a positive attitude towards Halal pharmaceuticals.
Results showed that 19 (11.4%) respondents strongly
agreed while 62 (37.1%) gave their opinion as agree
that they educate the students regarding Halal/Haram
ingredients of medicines while 59 (35.3%) remained
neutral, 19 (11.4%) disagreed and only 8 (4.8%) strongly
disagreed. A total of 16 (9.6%) respondents showed their
response as strongly agree, 71 (42.8%) as agree, 54
(32.5%) gave neutral response, 19 (11.4%) disagreed
and 6 (3.6%) strongly disagreed that they educate the
students about the sources of medication ingredients. A
total of 16 (9.6%) respondents showed their response as
strongly agree, 31 (18.7%) as agree, 77 (46.4%) gave
neutral response, 32 (19.3%) disagreed and 10 (6.0%)
strongly disagreed that they teach their students about
different faiths regarding intake of medicine. A total of 13
(7.8%) respondents showed their response as strongly
agree, 48 (28.9%) as agree, 59 (35.5%) gave neutral
response, 34 (20.5%) disagreed and 12 (7.2%) strongly
disagreed that they explore students own beliefs and
preferences regarding Halal/Haram issues while
using/prescribing medicines. A total of 13 (7.8%)
respondents showed their response as strongly agree
while 54 (32.5%) as agree that they discuss with their
students the therapeutic effectiveness and side effects of
Halal alternatives, showing a significant association with
Sadeeqa et al. 200
Table 5. Mean and median score of respondents knowledge, attitude and
perception KAP about Halal Pharmaceuticals.
Variable MeanSD
Knowledge 6.851.00
Attitude 33.438.17
Perception 62.596.11
KAP 102.6412.19
Table 6. Correlation between knowledge, attitude and perception.
Variable No. of respondents (n)
Knowledge - perception 170
Knowledge - attitude 170
Attitude - perception 170
respect to respondents age (p=0.044). While 60 (36.1%)
gave neutral response, the rest of the percentage
(23.5%) fluctuated from neutral to disagree.
The study found that a total of 33 (19.9%) respondents
gave their opinion as strongly agree while 72 (43.4%) as
agree that they teach their students that in future they
should consider patients religious beliefs when designing
a treatment regimen. This showed a significant
association with respect to respondents specialty
(p=0.039). On the other hand, 44 (26.5%) gave neutral
response and the rest of the percentage (10.2%)
fluctuated from neutral to disagree. A total of 45 (27.1%)
respondents strongly agreed whereas 57 (34.3%)
agreed that they teach their students that it is their moral
obligation to disclose the sources of non-Halal
ingredients to the patients in their practice. This showed a
significant association with respect to respondents
specialty (p=0.01). Rest of the percentage (38.5%)
fluctuated from neutral - disagree - strongly disagree. A
total of 38 (22.9%) respondents showed their response
as strongly agree while 41 (24.7%) showed theirs as
agree that they teach their students to take consent from
the patient about non-Halal drugs while looking into the
prescriptions in their practice, showing a significant
association with respect to respondents age (p=0.042).
However, 59 (35.5%) remained neutral and the rest of the
percentage (about 17%) fluctuated from disagree to
strongly disagree.
The study further found that 60 (35.3%) respondents
showed their response as strongly agree while 53
(31.5%) as agree that they will include topics about
Halal/Haram pharmaceuticals if they have to develop
Pharmacy/Medical curriculum. This showed a significant
association with respect to respondents age (p=0.011).
Whereas 45 (26.8%) remained neutral and the rest of the
percentage (6%) fluctuated from disagree to strongly
disagree. It was further found that 13 (7.7%) respondents
Median (IQR)(25-75)
7 [(6)-(7.25)]
34 [(30)-(38)]
64 [(57)-(67)]
103 [(94)-(111)]
P value Correlation (r)
<0.001 0.295
<0.001 0.496
<0.001 0.324
indicated their opinion as strongly agree while 31
(18.5%) as agree that they consider themselves to be
adequately trained in teaching area regarding
Halal/Haram pharmaceuticals, showing a significant
association with respect to age (p=0.04). However, 64
(38.1%) remained neutral and the rest of the percentage
(35.7%) fluctuated from disagree to strongly disagree.
DISCUSSION
This study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge,
attitude and perception of academicians in Malaysia. A
total of 170 academicians participated in the survey.
Intensive literature review found that no such study has
ever been conducted on the issues surrounding Halal
pharmaceuticals. In the present day life, medicines have
become a necessity to maintain the health of the public.
Usually, there are three players in this context:
physicians, pharmacists and consumers. Consumers
usually cannot judge which medicine is suitable for them.
This is then the role of physician to choose the most
suitable medication for his patient keeping in mind the
religious beliefs of the patient as well. In this study, we
tried to explore the knowledge of academicians about
Halal pharmaceuticals, as academicians are producing
future pharmacists and doctors. Study findings showed
that academicians had a good knowledge towards Halal
pharmaceuticals. All of the respondents knew about Halal
and majority of them knew that Muslim patients need
Halal medicines. A significant association was found
between demographic characteristics of respondents and
knowledge regarding Halal pharmaceuticals (Table 6).
The study also found positive perception about Halal
pharmaceuticals. It was very heartening to note that more
than 3/4 of the respondents had perceived either strongly
agree or agree that future pharmacy/medical teachers
must consider the study of Halal/Haram pharmaceuticals

while performing the role of an educator. A large majority
of the respondents agreed that pharmaceutical
manufacturers should also be sensitive towards the
requirements of patients and where ever possible should
produce Halal medicines. More than half of the
respondents strongly agreed and more than 1/3 agreed
that if resources and training were made available to
faculty members in pharmacy/medical schools, topics of
Halal/Haram medicines could be more easily incor-
porated into the curriculum. Majority of the respondents
perceived either strongly agree or agree that knowledge
of Halal/Haram medicines and their sources should be
included in pharmacy/medical schools. Moreover,
majority of the respondents perceived either strongly
agree or agree that faculty members in health sciences
need to be well prepared to teach topics related to
Halal/Haram Pharmaceuticals. Significant association
was found between demographic characteristics of
respondents and perception regarding Halal
pharmaceuticals.
Study respondents have positive attitude towards Halal
pharmaceuticals. Almost all respondents scored 50% and
above. There was found significant association between
demographic characteristics of respondents and their
attitude. A significant, positive and fair correlation was
found between knowledge and perception, knowledge
and attitude, and attitude and perception in this study.
This means that if the respondents have better
knowledge on Halal pharmaceuticals, they will have
better perception and attitude towards Halal
pharmaceuticals.
Conclusion
To summarize this discussion, it can be said that this
study is an indicator that the knowledge, attitude and
practice regarding Halal/Haram status of medicines were
good. A large percentage (< 88%) of the respondents
scored 50% and above in each domain. Significant,
positive correlations were found between knowledge and
attitude, attitude and perception, and knowledge and
perception.
LIMITATIONS
- The study population is too small and may not give a
true reflection of the actual population of the
academicians, and the results may not be generalized to
the actual population.
- Financial limitations.
SUGESSTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY
This issue is of paramount importance for Muslims as it
affects their religious beliefs directly and should be
researched and explored in various parts of not only
Malaysia but the entire Muslim world, including the first
Int. J. Educ. Res. Dev. 201
world countries with sizeable Muslim inhabitance, so that
more pertinent results may come to the focus of the
various players in the field of pharmaceutical drugs.
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