Medication Management Across Cultures: Beliefs, Adherence, Halal, and Fasting Adjustments

Date: 31st October 2025
Format: Hybrid (In-person + Online)
Attendees: 21 in-person + 58 online = 79 total participants
Organised with: Pharmacists Connect & HKU MED Primary Care Pharmacy Consortium

On 31st October 2025, the Multicultural Health Services (MCHS) team, in collaboration with Pharmacists Connect and the HKU MED Primary Care Pharmacy Consortium, successfully delivered a hybrid sharing session titled:

“Medication Management Across Cultures: Beliefs, Adherence, Halal, and Fasting Adjustments.”

The event attracted 79 participants in total – 21 attending in-person and 58 joining online – reflecting strong interest from pharmacists, pharmacy students, primary care professionals, and community health workers.

What Was Covered

This session addressed critical, often-overlooked dimensions of medication management for multicultural populations in Hong Kong:

• Cultural Beliefs and Medication Adherence: How traditional health beliefs, family dynamics, and mistrust of Western medicine affect whether patients take their medications as prescribed.
• Halal Medications: Understanding which excipients (inactive ingredients) may contain non-Halal sources such as gelatin or alcohol, and how to guide patients toward permissible alternatives.
• Fasting Adjustments (Ramadan and Beyond): Practical protocols for adjusting medication dosing schedules for patients who fast, including considerations for diabetes, hypertension, and anticoagulant therapies.
• Language and Health Literacy: Strategies for overcoming prescription misunderstanding through translated leaflets, pictorial aids, and interpreter services.
• Case Studies from MCHS Medi Help: Real examples of medication errors, reconciliation successes, and culturally sensitive counselling that improved patient outcomes.

Hybrid Format Success

The hybrid delivery allowed broad accessibility – busy professionals joined online, while in-person attendees benefited from networking and interactive case discussions. This model will inform future MCHS training initiatives.

Acknowledgements

We extend our sincere gratitude to:

• Pharmacists Connect for co-organising and amplifying reach within the pharmacy community.
• HKU MED Primary Care Pharmacy Consortium for academic collaboration and venue support.
• All 79 participants – your engagement and questions demonstrated a genuine commitment to equitable, culturally competent pharmaceutical care.

Stay Connected

Want to collaborate on a CPD-accredited session, workshop, or research project? Interested in our Multicultural Health Education Ambassador Training?

📧 Email: info@mchs.hk
🌐 Website: https://mchs.hk

Together, we are redefining medication management – one culture, one patient, one belief system at a time.