Is it permissible a doctor in Islam to accept gifts from pharmaceutical companies?

Question:

Dear sheikh Assalamu alaikum,
My Husband is a doctor. There are a lot of pharmaceutical companies that offer certain gifts in the form of household appliances, sponsor air tickets or lavish dinner parties and sometimes cheques. In return, they would want the doctor to prescribe their brand of medicines to their patients. I would like to know if it is permissible in Islam to accept such gifts. My husband says that these companies would have pre-decided to give the doctor certain share of their profit and it does not make any difference to them whether their drug is prescribed or not. Moreover, my husband doesn't demand it from them so it is permissible.

Answer:

Wa`alaykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

These gifts as described are permissible to accept as long as the accepting doctor knows himself/herself for certainly that accepting such gifts does not induce him/her to prescribe this medicine. Normally, there are no conditions attached to them. If I was a regulating authority, I would interfere in regulating them and put certain condition on their giving by companies.

Source: Islamonline.net

Allah Almighty knows best.