Medicines and supplements are rarely certified halal, largely because they are not treated as food in the way certification schemes are built. That leaves many people genuinely unsure what to do, so it helps to separate two very different situations rather than treating everything on the pharmacy shelf the same way.
The first is necessary medicine. Islamic teaching is generally accommodating here. Lifesaving and prescribed treatments, from antibiotics to insulin to vaccines, are widely considered permissible even where a halal alternative does not exist, because they fall under the principle of necessity. The practical takeaway is not to stop or skip a prescribed treatment on the assumption that it might be problematic. This is precisely the kind of decision where speaking to a knowledgeable religious teacher, alongside your doctor, is far wiser than trying to reason out the ruling alone.
The second situation is optional supplements, and this is where a little checking genuinely pays off. Capsule shells are often made from gelatin, which may be animal derived, and some liquid tinctures and remedies carry alcohol. Where you have a real choice, look for vegetarian or plant-based capsules, or a product that carries halal certification. A pharmacist can frequently point you toward suitable options, and more brands now offer clearly labelled alternatives than did a few years ago.
As a general habit, read the label the same way you would for food, noting ingredients such as gelatin, glycerin or ethanol. When a particular product matters to you and the source is unclear, contact the manufacturer or ask your asatizah for guidance on your specific circumstances. Context changes things, and a blanket rule rarely fits every case neatly.
It is also worth resisting two opposite errors. One is treating all medicine as suspect and avoiding necessary treatment, which the tradition does not ask of you. The other is assuming everything is fine without ever checking the optional products where you do have a choice. The balanced path sits between them: take necessary medicine with a clear conscience, and apply sensible scrutiny to the discretionary items.
A closing note, and an important one. This article is a map of the questions worth asking, not medical or religious advice. Your own doctor is the right person for health decisions, and your religious teachers are the right people for personal rulings. Meraki is an oral care brand rather than a health authority, and our own commitment is simply to keep what we make clean, transparent and certified, so that at least one small part of your daily routine is a settled question rather than an open one.