Supporting patients observing cultural traditions

How a Maskwacis pharmacist applied learning to help a Muslim diabetes patient during Ramadan.

For Muslims in Alberta, fasting during Ramadan can be a major challenge, especially when it occurs in spring or summer months, where the the average amount of daylight can reach 17 hours. That’s a long time to go between meals, especially if you’re diabetic.

That’s why Gihan Mohamed, a community pharmacist in Maskwacis, decided to learn more about how to help her Muslim patients with diabetes through the fasting period.

“I am Muslim, too, so I fast during Ramadan,” said Gihan. “I have many diabetic relatives. Some of them skip the fasting, and others fast and their blood sugar goes up and down as a result. It’s very challenging for them.”

Gihan applied her learning to her practice with one Muslim patient who was struggling with his medication schedule during Ramadan. The patient had Type 2 diabetes and was on two different medications. One was to be taken twice a day, but he told Gihan that he had began to skip his morning dose and was only taking it when he broke his fast at sunset.

“I advised him to take it twice a day, but just modify the time he was taking it, with his two meals,” said Gihan. “His other medication was to be taken once a day, preferably in the morning. He was taking it with his last meal before he went to sleep, which resulted in hypoglycemia when he woke up in the morning, so I advised him to take it with his meal in the morning.”

Gihan says these types of struggles are common with diabetic patients who are Muslim, as they work to respect the fasting period.

“Some patients want to fast during Ramadan which can result in their blood sugar levels going up and down during the day because they are not monitoring well or taking their medications with the right meals,” she said. “It’s important to follow up with these patients about their medications and how they take them, and encourage them to drink lots of water and monitor their blood sugar during the day. If it’s really low, we need to encourage them to break their fast and eat something.”

Gihan’s story shows how personal, cultural, and professional experiences can help provide quality care for your patients.