Impact of Religiosity, Halal Knowledge, and Media on Patient Drug Choices: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The halal lifestyle is rapidly growing in both muslim-majority and non-muslim countries, yet research on halal pharmaceuticals remains limited. This study aims to identify key factors influencing muslim patients’ decisions to purchase halal drugs in pharmacies, providing insights for the pharmaceutical industry to strengthen influential aspects. Conducted in Surabaya, Indonesia, data were collected from 115 muslim respondents between February and April 2025. The independent variables examined were halal knowledge, religiosity, and media exposure, while the dependent variable was the decision to purchase halal drugs. Data validity and reliability were assessed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27 and SmartPLS 3.0, with analysis methods including Pearson correlation and the PLS algorithm. Influence analysis employed the SEM-PLS bootstrapping method. Results showed that only media exposure had a direct impact on purchase decisions (52.8%), while religiosity influenced decisions indirectly through media exposure (39.0%). Additionally, multicollinearity was found between religiosity and halal knowledge in relation to media exposure. The findings suggest that while religiosity plays a critical role in shaping consumption behavior, strong media exposure is essential to translate religious values into actual purchasing decisions. These insights highlight the importance of media as a strategic tool for promoting halal pharmaceuticals.