This research comes while medical advertisement of treatments and
services is becoming a growing trend. On a ground of a descriptive analytical
methodology, The research clarifies the facts about medical advertising, specifying its
rules, and setting it's standards, aiming towards prevention of its negative effects, and
purifying its benefits, basing on the Sharia care for saving life, as experts are warning
against the evolution of dangerous outcomes of some medical advertising.
The research included a chapter on facts of medical advertising, which defined it
and clarified its aims, means, positive and negative outcomes. The other chapter
specified its rulings and standards, dealing with its default ruling, it's ruling from the
perspective of the consequences, from the perspective of the advertised object, and
from the perspective of its method, ending the chapter with the standards to help
guiding the conduct.
Amongst the important results of the facts chapter were clarifying the negative
outcomes, like the spread of less quality and unproved treatments, scaring or deluding
patients with exaggerations, conveying unrealistic conceptions about body, health,
and some community groups, in addition to degrading trust in doctors or even
negatively affecting their decisions.
Amongst the important results of the rulings chapter were the permissibility of
medical advertising as a default stance if it was free from sharia prohibition causes.
With this has been said, consequences and some types and methods of advertising
must be considered, where there are possible causes of prohibition, as insincerity,
discrediting other's products, encouraging overuse, and using prohibited incentives. In
addition, the object been advertised must be considered since an advertisement would
take its rule.
The research presented eighteen standards of medical advertising, derived from
the rulings clarified in the research, and concluded with recommending the
implementation of the standards, with making people aware how to critically receive
medical advertising.