Question

Culture: Inuit

1. Two impacts on medication administration. Explain.
   • Example: Male nurses cannot give females certain medications (i.e. suppositories) for many cultures
   • Example: A lot of cultures cannot take meds containing pork (heparins, insulins, capsules)
   • Example: Some cultures fast (like Ramadan) and will not take oral meds

Answer 1

Question

Culture: Inuit. Two impacts on medication administration. Explain.

Answer:

Postcolonial language preferences and issues

The transition in Nunavut to self-governance through the creation of one of Canada’s territories in 1999 marked its shift into a postcolonial phase. While postcolonial transitions are often marked by a status change to sovereignty, in Nunavut, postcolonialism is more accurately defined by a continued geo-political inclusion within Canada, with a return to greater Indigenous autonomy in many social, political and cultural domains. While this era marks a new and perhaps unpredictable time for Nunavut, we can look to other jurisdictions for insight into how societies work through such postcolonial transitions, and in particular to how language transitions are impacted by postcolonial changes. Some postcolonial states use language as a way to assert identities through the active promotion of local languages over colonial ones.

Profile of Nunavut pharmacy health services

In Nunavut, health care is delivered in Community Health Centres (CHCs) predominantly by Community Health Nurses (CHNs). Administratively, the Territory is divided into three regions: the Kivalliq in the southwest, the Kitikmeot in the northwest and the Qikiqtaaluk in the east. The two western regions are each served by a Regional Health Centre with some limited in-patient capacity and expanded diagnostic services, while the east is also served by Qikiqtani General Hospital in the capital city of Iqaluit. In the remaining 22 communities in the territory, health care is delivered in CHCs.

Current pharmacy language in Nunavut

All of the Inuit participants in this study expressed their current familiarity with, and preference to receive their pharmacy services either entirely or predominantly in English. A middle-aged Inuit participant explained this preference as follows:

Because there, I can understand it more than Inuktitut. I can understand Inuktitut, I’m a full-time Inuktitut speaker, but ah like medications, everything, ingredients… It’s really hard to translate.

The often highly scientific terminology used in pharmacy health care does not currently have recognized Inuktut translations and therefore English terms are generally used. These English words include generic or brand names of medicines (e.g. ibuprofen or Advil) as well as classes of medication, such as antibiotics or antacids.