Are U.S. pharmacies shortchanging their customers?  A multi-state study conducted by the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern found that more than 50% cannot give their Spanish-speaking customers translated medication instructions.

A Spanish-speaker reported having applied a cream on her baby eleven times a day when she should have applied it once a day.  She made the mistake because the Spanish word for eleven is "once".  What would have happened if the prescription was for an oral medication instead of a topical treatment?

One easy way pharmacies can help ensure patient safety is by having patient information brochures for many common medications translated into the languages their customers speak.  This will not only increase their customers' loyalty, it will also reduce the pharmacies' liability risk.

http://www.pandltranslations.com

Two drugstore chains have reached an agreement with the New York Attorney General's Office to translate prescription drug instructions into six languages.  The pharmacies will provide information in languages spoken by more than 1% of New York state residents: Chinese, French, Italian,Polish, Russian and Spanish. 

Do other states have similar requirements in effect?  Should translating prescription and OTC drug instructions be a federal requirement?

http://tinyurl.com/56stv8

http://www.pandltranslations.com