Ruling on working in a pharmacy in which some of the medicines contain haraam ingredients

Firstly:

The basic
principle is that it is permissible to sell medicines that are not known to
be haraam, because the basic principle is that selling or trading is
permissible, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“But
Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest”

[al-Baqarah
2:275].

Things do not
become haraam on the basis of mere uncertainty.

Secondly:

Medicines may
contain substances that it is haraam to consume, such as alcohol, yet
despite that it may still be permissible to sell them, because it is a small
amount that is fully absorbed into the medicine in such a way that if a
person were to drink a lot of this medicine, he would not become
intoxicated.

It says in
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (22/297): Some medicines and sweets are
sold in the marketplace that contain a tiny amount of alcohol. Is it
permissible for us to consume them? Please note that if a person were to eat
the sweets and have his fill of them, he would never reach the point of
intoxication.

Answer: If the
alcohol in the sweet or medicine is of a very tiny amount, such that eating
or drinking a lot of that thing would not lead to intoxication, then it is
permissible to consume it and to sell it, because it does not have any
effect on the taste, colour or smell, because it has been absorbed into the
pure and permissible components. But it is not permissible for the Muslim to
make anything like that or to add it to the food of Muslims, or to help
someone else in doing that. End quote. 

Statements and
fatwas on the permissibility of using medicines containing a tiny amount of
intoxicant alcohol have been issued by Islamic fiqh councils, and
fatwa-issuing councils and bodies in the Muslim world, whilst noting that it
is preferable to avoid adding alcohol to any medicines, so as to avoid
dubious matters.

It says in a
statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council belonging to the Organization of the
Islamic Conference, no. 23(11/3) in response to enquiries from the
International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) in Washington:

Question no. 12:

There are many
medicines that contain varying amounts of alcohol, between 0.01% and 25%.
Most of these medicines are remedies for colds, sore throats, coughs and
other common ailments. These alcohol-containing medicines constitute nearly
95% of the medicines for such ailments, which makes it very difficult or
even impossible to obtain medicines that are free of alcohol. What is the
ruling on taking these medicines?

Answer: The
Muslim patient may take medicine containing a small amount of alcohol if
alcohol-free medicine is not available, and that medicine has been
prescribed by a trustworthy doctor.

End quote from
Majallat al-Majma‘, issue no. 3, vol. 3, p. 1087

In a statement
issued by the Islamic Fiqh Council belonging to the Muslim World League, it
says: It is permissible to use medicines containing alcohol in small amounts
that are fully absorbed, that is dictated by the way in which the medicine
is made, when there is no alternative to it, on condition that it be
prescribed by a doctor of good character

It is also
permissible to use alcohol for external cleansing purposes, to clean wounds
and kill germs, and to use it in creams and lotions that are used
externally.

End quote from
Qaraaraat al-Majma‘ al-Fiqhi al-Islami bi Makkah al-Mukarramah, p.
341

Thirdly:

What was said
about alcohol may also be said about some other haraam derivatives, such as
those that are taken from meat that was not slaughtered in the prescribed
manner, or from pork. If they are in small amounts that are fully absorbed,
or have undergone a process of chemical transformation (istihaalah) that has
changed their nature completely, in the sense that they have turned into a
new, pure substance, then they may be overlooked and it is permissible to
use medicines and cosmetic products that contain them, and it is permissible
to sell such products.

This has been
discussed in detail in the answer to question no. 97541.

To sum up:
medicines and products may contain haraam substances, but it may be
permissible to consume them and sell them.

Fourthly:

If there is a
medicine or product that would cause intoxication if drunk in large amounts,
or it contains lard (pig fat), for example, that has not been transformed (istihaalah),
then it is not permissible to consume it or sell it.

The one who
works in the pharmacy must avoid that. 

Thus you will
know that the basic principle is
that it is permissible to work in pharmacies, and that most
types of medicine are permissible.

If it becomes
clear that there is a medicine that it is haraam to consume, then it is not
permissible to sell it, but there is nothing wrong with continuing to work
there whilst avoiding selling that which is haraam.

And Allah knows
best.