The Moderating Role of Religious Satisfaction on Purchasing Over-The-Counter Medicines in Malaysia: An Islamic Perspective

Abstract

Medications can be found in different formulations and ingested in different ways. OTC medications are used to cure, avoid or alleviate disease and to promote the well-being of people. There is continuous argument building up by taking a possibly Halal medication among the growing Muslim consumers around the world. Therefore, the focus of this study drawn from Maqasid al-Shariah approach for medicine usage and its significance in Islam. A sample of 308 Muslim consumers of pharmacies was being surveyed from the metropolitan territory of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor states in Malaysia. The Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis techniques have been used to analyse the data. The outcome revealed that customers’ religious satisfaction significantly moderates the purchasing of OTC medicines. The purpose of self-medication comes from the consumer’s decision-making. Hence, the self-medication phenomenon is critical to understand, and it should be subjected to strict control for the betterment of the Ummah.