Non-English Speakers Charge Bias in Prescription Labeling

New York Times ^ | October 31, 2007 | Anne Barnard

[reaganaut1]

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.

[rlmorel]

LOL...I HAD to check out that link...www.BulletBras.net

[FreedomPoster]

Freedom of choice - is what you’ve got.
Freedom from choice - is what you want.

— Devo

I fear they nailed it, about the American people, 25 years ago.

[Psycho_Bunny]

STFU......in English.

[proudofthesouth]

When I lived in Germany, I didn’t expect people to understand English. I had to learn to communicate in German. WHY the double standard here for the illegals????

They don't want to blend in with our country!

I’m so SICK of this country catering to these criminals!!!!!

[Convert from ECUSA]

Jeeze Louise, call a WHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMBULANCE already! Every damn time a person turns around these “non-English speakers” (so-called) are whining about some damn thing or another. Demanding this, demanding that, like the spoiled damn brats that they are. English should be the official langauge of the USA and they can either learn it or STHU and GTHO. If we went to their country, you can bed they’d expect us to learn their langauge and get very offended if we demanded the same crap from them that they demand of us.

[rollo tomasi]

What about the responsibilities of immigrants to learn English?

Too hard, besides, how could political panderers (Both Repubs and dems) make a living off those who refuse to be self reliant.

Come on man, where is your compassion for an over regulated society plus an inefficient bureaucracy?

[longtermmemmory]

actually in European nations there are VERY serious laws for the use of the local language.

I know they have rules in France, Spain, Itally, and Greece. They EVEN HAVE COMMERCIALS to encourage the protection of our language.

[gubamyster]

ping

[Cobra64]

That's my wife's and my little business...

There's quite a niche market demand for the '50s "Sweater Girl" look.

[Dante3]

Yes, just learn English. Very simple solution.

[LiteKeeper]

Go to Germany, got to France, Italy, Russia...see if they will print your prescription on English. Two chances that will happen: one slim...the other fat.

[BlessedBeGod]

That assistance should include interpreters at pharmacies ...

Good God. They want every pharmacy to hire interpreters for every language? They have got to be kidding.

[VOA]

what a load!

[HennepinPrisoner]

Learn English or go back home.