Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that two of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States – CVS and Rite-Aid – have entered into agreements with his office to provide New York customers with prescription medication instructions in their primary language. With these agreements, CVS and Rite-Aid, which also owns Eckert and Genovese pharmacies, will counsel all pharmacy customers about prescription information in their own language and provide written translations in Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Russian, French, and Polish.
Attorney General Cuomo initiated an undercover investigation into the policies and procedures of pharmacies after receiving and reviewing complaints that pharmacies routinely fail to advise non-English speaking customers in a language that allows them to understand the purpose, dosage, and side-effects of their medications. New York law requires pharmacists to personally provide information about prescription drugs to all patients, orally and in writing, and prohibits pharmacies from conducting business in a way that discriminates against non-English speakers. According to census data, over one million New Yorkers do not speak English well or at all.
“Understanding prescription information is a matter of life and death,” said Attorney General Cuomo. “Our state has always been proud to be the home to people from all throughout the world. We need to make sure that all New Yorkers can read and understand the vital information about their medications, regardless of whether English is their first language. CVS and Rite-Aid have taken important steps to ensure that customers receive proper assistance in understanding their medication, and my office’s investigation into the practices of other pharmacies continues.”
The health and safety of New Yorkers are put at risk when they are unable to comprehend the instructions for using their medication. Non-English speaking New Yorkers have experienced allergic reactions, adverse side effects, and other health problems due to their inability to understand medical instructions, and in some instances, have refrained from taking medication at all.
The agreements with the Attorney General, which affect more than 2,000 stores statewide, require the pharmacies to:
● Identify whether a customer needs assistance in understanding their
prescription medication
● Inform customers of their right to free assistance in reading and
understanding their prescription medication
● Provide prescription labels and directions regarding dosage and
safety information in the six languages that are spoken by more than one
percent of the population of New York
● Provide additional assistance in all languages through a service
called Language Line
● Ensure that pharmacy staff counsel customers about their
prescription medication in the customer’s own language
The Attorney General’s office received complaints about the practices of New York pharmacies from the non-profit organization Make the Road New York. The office is continuing its investigation.
(Dov Gordon – YWN NYC)
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4 Responses
The only place in the world????? And I have lived in 3 locations outside the USA. I see a time when English speaking will have to beg to get it in English………..
Come on give me a break!!!……This action is really pushing the envelope way too far. My grandparents on both sides emigrated from Poland/Russia in the 1920’s and learned to function in Enlish because that is how most business was conducted outside of the local area’s they lived in and English was the only choice in governmental dealings. The USA should have but one official language ENGLISH period…no press this or press that to speak whatever. What next will people of color demand Ebonics, will the Chinese speak in the right dialect..what’s about Yiddish, Hebrew etc etc etc. Enough is enough!!
What about Yiddish and Hebrew? What discrimination!!!
Money is never an issue …and then they’ll ask the Obama administration to bail them out