Pharmacy teams at LloydsPharmacy are being supported to ensure safe fasting for people with diabetes during Ramadan. The company has teamed up with academic pharmacist and RPS board member Dr Mahendra Patel to produce a toolkit to help advise diabetic customers during the holy month of Ramadan.

Produced in conjunction with experts from the South Asian Foundation, and endorsed by the RPSGB and the Muslim Council of Britain, the training includes information on the risks of fasting, staying safe while fasting, on when diabetics should not fast, managing hypos and staying healthy during Ramadan.

“If an individual is advised by their medical practitioner that fasting would be potentially detrimental to their health, then according to Islamic Law for Muslims their religious authorities and scholars would advocate that the individual should not fast. However, some people choose to fast regardless and we wanted to make it clear to our teams that their patients should feel supported in their choice and that their choice is respected by us,” commented Deep Patel, LloydsPharmacy NHS excellence manager.

Pharmacists play a vital role in the day-to-day management of long-term conditions, said the company.