“We don’t have the words in Inuktitut”: Pharmacy translations in Nunavut, Canada

Abstract

In efforts to preserve and revitalize Aboriginal languages, recently introduced language legislation in Nunavut, Canada requires the availability of all essential services in Inuit languages. In Nunavut, the majority of inhabitants speak an Inuit language as their mother tongue but pharmaceutical health care is currently only available in English or French. Some challenges to legislative compliance include multiple dialects spoken across the Territory, the absence of any standardized Inuit terminology, and a complete absence of any pharmacists or pharmacy technicians who speak an Inuit language. Language concordant pharmacy health care is essential as it informs patient understanding of dosing instructions, side effects and treatment rationale which reduce adverse drug events, increase patient adherence and maximize the benefits of pharmacotherapy. The development of Inuit pharmaceutical terminology enhances the appreciation of Inuit language adaptability, while building cross-cultural understandings of biomedical and Inuit wellness ideologies and practices. The engagement of Nunavummiut will be essential to address challenges and to ensure that the full advantages of Inuit pharmacy health care can be realized however, the benefits of Inuit language pharmaceutical health care offer an important contribution to the health and well-being of Nunavummiut.

Keywords:

• aboriginal/indigenous health
• circumpolar
• language
• pharmacy health care
• translations

Public Interest Statement

It is essential that patients understand the purpose, proper usage and side effects of their medications to ensure that they can fully participate in their own health care, that their health issues improve, and that they are safe. However, ensuring full patient understanding of medications can be challenging due to the highly technical nature of medical jargon, accompanied by patients sometimes feeling too intimidated to speak freely to their health providers. This issue is of increasing importance due to the growing reliance on medications in treatments plans and increasing language differences between patients and providers due to global mobility.

This research explores these issues within the context of pharmacy health care in Nunavut, Canada, home to a predominantly Inuit population being served by non-Inuit health providers. Issues raised by this research include cultural understandings of medications, the translation of pharmacy terminology into Inuit languages and Indigenous language revitalization.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sandra J. Romain

Dr Sandra J. Romain is a Medical Anthropologist with a PhD from the University of Toronto. Her work examines pharmacy health care among Inuit communities in Nunavut, Canada, and more specifically, how policy and practice are affected by the isolation and resource challenges in the Arctic and how Inuit culture intersects with the delivery of biomedicine. This work comprises part of her doctoral research in considering how Inuit language revitalization legislation in Nunavut addresses the challenges posed by complex pharmaceutical concepts and terminology.