Resource Round-up: Ramadan

During Ramadan, Muslims observe fasting from dawn until sunset, refraining from consuming food, drink, and medications. Given that medications can affect the body's physiology and may require consumption with food or water, discussing medication safety during Ramadan becomes crucial. Pharmacists can play a very important role to help ensure that individuals who require medication can manage their health effectively while adhering to the requirements of fasting.

Addressing medication safety involves considerations such as the timing and dosage of medications, potential interactions with fasting, and strategies to maintain health and well-being throughout the holy month. By promoting medication safety during Ramadan, health-care professionals help individuals make informed decisions about their health while honoring their religious observances. The following resources listed will help guide you and prepare with your patients for Ramadan.

Resources for pharmacists

General information

• How Pharmacists Can Optimize Care for Muslim Patients During Ramadan — An article to help understand the patient medical needs during fasting and make proper adjustments in the treatment regimen where necessary, designed for health-care workers. (Pharmacy Times)
• Ramadan and Medication — A video that covers medication management, designed for health-care providers. (Pharmacy 5in5)
• Adjusting Meds During Ramadan — Infographics, module case studies, and other resources to help health-care workers with medication management during Ramadan. (Pharmacy 5in5) *Requires a subscription

Special populations resources

• People with Types 1 and 2 Diabetes Who Fast During Ramadan — Summary of recommendations, designed to inform health-care providers. (Diabetes Canada)
• Are you prepared to support fasting patients during Ramadan? — An article discussing a pharmacist’s experience supporting Muslim patients fasting during Ramadan, focusing on diabetes care within pharmacy teams. (Alberta College of Pharmacy)
• Recommendations for management of diabetes during Ramadan — Recommendations for medication management, designed for health-care providers. Includes a risk stratification algorithm. (American Diabetes Association/BMJ)
•  Managing Diabetes Meds When Fasting — A resource designed for health-care workers that provides a drug chart of medications used for diabetes and guidelines for medication dose adjustments during fasting. (Pharmacist’s Letter) *Requires subscription
• What clinicians need to know about Muslim patients with mental illness during Ramadan — An article that covers mental health consideration for patients fasting during Ramadan, designed for health-care workers. (CAMH)
  • What all physicians need to know about Ramadan and its clinical implications (CAMH Quick Takes podcast)
• Diabetes and Ramadan: Practical Guidelines— Resource designed for health-care workers, contains dietary advice and information about diabetes medication adjustments. (International Diabetes Federation/Diabetes & Ramadan International Alliance)
• Recommendations for the Treatment of Patients With Parkinson Disease During Ramadan — An article that covers medication management for patients with Parkinson Disease. (JAMA)
• Minor Oral Surgery in Fasting Muslim Patients during Ramadan — An article for health-care workers managing medications after an oral/dental surgery and frequency of blood glucose testing. (JCDA/Canadian Dental Association)
• Management of diabetes during Ramadan fasting: applications of international recommendations in clinical practice — This article is designed for health care workers. It shows the efficacy of international fasting recommendations, provides comprehensive risk assessment, evaluation, and education of the treatment adjustments for fasting patients with diabetes. (PAMJ)

Resources for patients

Special populations resources

• Managing Diabetes During Ramadan — Infographic designed for patients. Includes a Ramadan meal plan template. (designed by Brittaney Berendsen from Grand River Hospital)
• Ramadan and Diabetes Patient Handout — Infographic designed for patients. Explains when patients should be checking their blood glucose levels when fasting. (Waterloo Wellington Diabetes)
• Fasting with Diabetes during Ramadan - Community Health Series  — Video designed for health-care providers and patients as a preparation guide for Ramadan Fasting for patients with diabetes. (Muslim Medical Association of Canada)
• Keeping kidneys healthy during fasting — Resource page for both health-care workers and patients provides recommendations and guidelines for people with kidney disease fasting for Ramadan (Kidney Research UK)
• Diet, Culture, and Your Body — Resource page for both health-care workers and patients provides an infographic and video on recommendations when fasting during Ramadan with IBD (Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation)
• Fasting with a lung condition — Resource page for both health-care workers and patients provides recommendations and guidelines for fasting with a variety of respiratory conditions including Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and COPD. (UK Asthma and Lung Organization)

Our Resource Round-up series gathers available resources and practice tools on important health topics to help you in your practice. This is not an exhaustive list of available resources. Something missing? If you have information, tools or resources you think we should include, please let us know at practicedevelopment@pharmacists.ca .

Last updated on March 11, 2024