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October 31, 2007
Non-English Speakers Charge Bias in Prescription Labeling
Non-English Speakers Charge Bias in Prescription Labeling NYT
Pharmacies across the city routinely fail to help non-English speakers understand their prescriptions, raising the chances that customers could harm themselves by taking medicines incorrectly, immigrant advocacy groups charge in a discrimination complaint that they plan to file today with the New York attorney general’s office.
The complaint names 16 pharmacies in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, most of them operated by chains. It argues that federal civil rights law and state health regulations require pharmacies to provide linguistic help to guarantee that people who speak little or no English receive equal access to health care. That assistance should include interpreters at pharmacies and written translations of medication instructions, the advocates say.
Nisha Agarwal, a lawyer for one of the groups filing the complaint, said the attorney general’s office had already issued subpoenas to several pharmacies listed in an earlier version of the complaint filed in July. The new version names more pharmacies, and an accompanying report includes more examples of comprehension problems non-English speakers have had.
“The idea is that people should not be placed in danger by not understanding their medication regimen,” said Andrew Friedman, an executive director of Make the Road New York, one of the groups filing the complaint, along with New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and the New York Immigration Coalition.
Jeffrey Lerner, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office, said only, “We have an ongoing investigation.”
The pharmacies named include six operated by Rite Aid, three CVS stores, three Duane Reade stores, a Walgreens and a Wal-Mart. CVS said it was cooperating with the attorney general. The other companies declined to comment on the pending legal matter, but said they were trying to provide good service for diverse populations.
Tiffani Bruce, a spokeswoman for Walgreens, said the chain provided medication labels in 14 languages and kept a nationwide database of its pharmacists who speak other languages, enabling a pharmacist to call a colleague who can talk to a customer.
CVS said it provided telephone interpreters in 150 languages, and Rite Aid said it tried to hire bilingual pharmacists and provided labels in 12 languages.
The advocacy groups provided The New York Times with a copy of the complaint and the accompanying report.
The report chronicles the stories of more than a dozen New Yorkers who said they struggled to understand their prescriptions at local pharmacies. Reyita Rivera, 47, for example, who speaks and reads only Spanish, said she could not understand the printed instructions that came with her antidepressant medication, and ended up taking too much. She said she had to be admitted to a Queens hospital after the medication caused a racing heartbeat.
“That experience scared me a lot. I felt very bad — I thought I was just going crazy,” Mrs. Rivera, a Dominican immigrant, said in an interview, speaking through an interpreter.
She said she could not communicate with the staff at her pharmacy in Ridgewood, Queens, and received no printed explanation of the medication in Spanish.
Wild Thing's comment........
What has happened to people wanting to learn English? My grandparents, Nick's parents and others that came to our country many of them had to learn English, and wanted to. Nick's Dad even had some funny stories about when he was trying to learn the English. There was a wonderful pride in being an American and a strong desire to want to better oneself and be a part of their new homeland.
It's so easy for politicians and "activists" to mandate that businesses do XYZ, but where is the money coming from? If pharmacies operating in areas requiring translators charge more, get ready for the next story saying that Pharmacies are gouging immigrants.
Posted by Wild Thing at October 31, 2007 12:45 AM
Comments
My great grandparents too, WT. In fact, my grandfather would remind them to speak english when they would lapse into Welsh around my grandmother, who did not speak it.
This is a slap in the face of all those who work real hard at following the rules and becoming American citizens.
Those who choose to live here and won't learn english complain and we pay, one way or another.
I'm tired of living in the world's welfare office.
Posted by: yankeemom at October 31, 2007 06:33 AM
Another Orwellian step down the road to socialism and Balkanization.
Posted by: TomR at October 31, 2007 06:57 AM
Love your graphic WT.
Posted by: TomR at October 31, 2007 07:00 AM
What about the cost of providing interpreters and instructions in Spanish? People cry prescriptions cost too much now, can you imagine how much they're going to cost when Pharmacies are required to have interpreters on staff?
Although their are foreigners from many countries and many don't speak English yet, they're only talking of Spanish speaking peoples when they complain about this.
Posted by: BobF at October 31, 2007 07:15 AM
Tom said it all. This is how they'll lower the costs of medications. Next step, requiring a private nurse to ensure against stupidity.
Last summer in my hometown I saw a set of wrought iron steps in a housing complex, I stopped to ask who made them and not a soul in the place spoke English. Make English the official language!!!
Posted by: Jack at October 31, 2007 01:30 PM
I doubt they would have a valid complaint if the
clowns would just learn Engliey...You will love
this...The parents of children at Houston Elementary School plan to complain to the school board about concerns they have with a seventh-grade history textbook, which they feel pays an undue amount of attention to the teachings of Islam,this school is in Lodi California...I
almost forgot they had a half assed sleeper cell
and one member got 28 years in federal prison...
Posted by: Tincan Sailor at October 31, 2007 09:27 PM
Yankeemom that is a perfect way to put it..... "living in the world's welfare office"...
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 31, 2007 11:32 PM
Tom thank you so much.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 31, 2007 11:33 PM
Bob , good point and yes it will cost even more, someone has to pay.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 31, 2007 11:39 PM
Jack, AMEN ...."Make English the official language".... If I moved to let's say France. I would work my butt off to learn French and I would not want to be dumbed down about it.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 31, 2007 11:40 PM
Tincan Sailor, wow oh my gosh.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 31, 2007 11:42 PM
'Mummy' it's good being back home and since I've been a good husband and father...Frau Vader will Elvira Up tonight! No tricks just treats 2007
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at November 1, 2007 12:11 AM
My Norwegian Great-Grand Parents forbid my grandmother, great-aunt ant two great-uncles to use anything but English. My Belgian Great-Grandfather only spoke Flemish when listening to the news during the early part of WW2. Otherwise he learned and used the English Language flawlessly. This man came into the United States at New Orleans and WALKED to Ellis Island to do the paperwork. The crybabies can pound sand as far as this Retired Petty Officer is concerned. Or, as my Dad so eloquently put it: If you want sympathy.It's in the dictionary somewhere between s*** and syphillis.
Posted by: G.M. Cassel, AMH1(AW), USN, RET at November 1, 2007 12:51 AM
